


About as cuddly as a pinecone

by StarBoyBlue



Series: BagginSheild ABO [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Thorin, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Cultural Differences, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Implied Mpreg, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Nervous Bilbo Baggins, Omega Bilbo Baggins, Omega Verse, Omegas all have pussies, Pack Bonding, Pack Dynamics, Slow Burn, Thorin is a Softie, Vaginal Sex, You know what happens when they get to Beorns house, bilbo has a pussy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:40:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 42,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24883225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarBoyBlue/pseuds/StarBoyBlue
Summary: "Reflecting on it now, it had been hard to avoid. Snuggly pressed together on the elven road, every member of the company had gotten a good lung full of their hobbit and the truth had surfaced at last.Bilbo Baggins was an omega"Or, Bilbo has never met an alpha in his life, and here he is teamed up with several. How is one little well-mannered omega supposed to deal with a crowd of rowdy alphas, especially when their leader won't stop in his persistent starring?OR, Bilbo and Thorin find out there's more to their relationship as friends via the magic of their biology~
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Series: BagginSheild ABO [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1816078
Comments: 56
Kudos: 692





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> as per usual with this sort of thing, I wanted to read this so I wrote it.  
> I have up until chapter 6 written already and if you would like to see any specific scenes after that let me know!

It had started off with small things, now that Bofur thought about it. Little, almost ignorable things that had started to raise his suspicions. Not that Bofur considered himself to be a scholarly dwarf by any particular means, but he was wise enough to riddle things out on his own. And to be sure, Bilbo Baggins was a riddle of a creature if ever there was one.

He was a gentle soul but was also the most wound tight little thing Bofur had ever seen. The hobbit was quick of wit and of the tongue, unafraid to strike up an argument with even the toughest of their company. Yet at the same time, he was incredibly kind and almost motherly in the way he looked after Bofur’s fellow dwarrows. 

For example, Bofur had noticed the way that the hobbit would often tidy up their campsites. Sweeping the ground free of gravel with his large feet or clearing the remainder of their dinner to avoid run-ins with wild animals. At first, Bofur had dismissed the behavior as Bilbo simply being too used to the comforts of his cozy hole, not yet accustomed to life on the road. But it hadn’t ended there.

After a few weeks on the road, Bilbo started to grow close to the two young princes. Fili and Kili respectively were handfuls to be sure, causing mischief here and there. Bilbo was quick to put up his boundaries but was just as swift to intrude upon their own. Bofur had caught the hobbit scolding the twins on many occasions, only to turn around and gawk at the way the two dwarrows would throw themselves upon him. Leaning up against Bilbo during meals or even laying in the Hobbit’s lap, the two young princes seemed perfectly at home around the bossy halfling.

Bofur had sworn up and down that he had even caught Bilbo combing through Kili’s hair once. 

That had been the tipping point for the dwarf, he had to tell someone about his observations, and upon discussing it with Bombur he had found out he was not alone in his suspicions. 

“Aye, glad I wasn’t the only one think’n so” Bombur agreed, leaning in closer towards his brother at their seat on a log. The larger dwarf stirred his pot as they continued, Bofur feeling relieved that he wasn’t the only one who had suspected something. 

“What do ya’ make of it then?” The toymaker pressed, looking off to his side to make sure no one else was listening in. 

“Well..I’m not sure. I don’t want to assume something too soon..” Bombur stammered, clearly unsure about how he felt. Bofur had to agree, he’d hate to draw to conclusions too quickly or have his thoughts twist the view he had of their halfling companion into something less than respectful. Bombur nodded before continuing. 

“But… If ya’ ask me, he seems to be acting like a-” 

“Like a what?” 

The sudden intrusion caused the brothers to flinch, Bombur nearly toppling off the log from the surprise. Bofur fumbled with his hat as his eyes flew up to meet the smug face of Nori, who honestly he should have suspected from the beginning.

“Oh! Nori! Shhh!” Bofur said, smacking the other dwarf in the thigh. Nori snorted, rolling his eyes before taking a seat himself.

“What’s this about the halfling then?” He asked. Bofur sighed, knowing that of course, Nori would be interested in their conversation, any information that he didn’t already have his grabby hands-on was of keen interest to him. 

“Not that it’s of any of your concern, but we were talk’n ‘bout how we think Bilbo might be a-” Bofur started, only to be cut off again by a very distraught looking Kili. 

“Uncle!” The prince exclaimed, soon joined by his other half as the two of them came charging through the camp. The scent of distress quickly flooded the camp and every pair of eyes were now dead set on the princes, their Uncle in question quickly turning to answer them.  
Trolls.

\-------------------------------

Honestly, Bofur couldn’t take full credit for figuring it out. After the company had been captured and then released due to the halfing’s cleverness, he had all but abandoned his suspicions. That was of course until he recalled how the three beasties had commented on the hobbit’s unusually sweet smell. 

That rather public announcement had pretty much sealed the halflings fate and after they all had their fair share of running and screaming, and sweating, the first thing the company did was go out of their way to smell their smallest member. Reflecting on it now, it had been hard to avoid. Snuggly pressed together on the elven road, every member of the company had gotten a good lung full of their hobbit and the truth had surfaced at last. 

Bilbo Baggins was an omega. 

\-------------------------------

Bilbo was quick to further draw his coat around his neck and shoulders the more the dwarrows seemed to stare at him. It wasn’t that they made him uncomfortable- normally- but now their lingering eye contact was starting to make him uneasy. Large, inquisitive, and downright intrusive gazes were being cast his way from every direction and the more he thought on it, the more uncomfy the hobbit had grown. They had just reached a point where they could finally relax, safe within the halls of the last homely house, Rivendell. The prospect of a good night’s rest and a decent meal should have calmed Bilbo’s nerves but now, surrounded by curious eyes, he found that he was anything but comfortable. 

What are they all staring at? He thought, shifting again in his bedroll as the others mingled about around him. They thought they were being sneaky he was sure, what with Bofur eyeing him from under the brim of his ridiculous hat and Dori peeking around his pack. Even Ori was chancing glances up from his notebook every now and then, his large brown eyes curiously looking Bilbo up and down before returning to his current page.

He thought he ought to say something but quite frankly he wasn’t too sure what to say, seeing as he didn’t even know what he had done wrong. He thought over the most recent mishaps of their adventure, surveying over their trek through the highlands in their effort to escape the orcs. Nothing besides the usual caught his eye, he certainly hadn’t gone out of his way to cause trouble- not that he ever did anyway, despite what their glorious leader seemed to think. Bilbo scoffed to himself at the thought, remembering the harsh glances offered to him by the king himself. Mighty, hard-headed Thorin always had a scowl to send his way- that was, he usually did. Even Thorin, master of brooding himself, had neglected eye contact with the hobbit since their arrival and that alone made Bilbo bristle with aggravation. In fact, it seemed their fearless leader was going out of his way to avoid him. 

Oh- so now he wasn’t even good enough for negative attention, was he?

Coming to a breaking point, Bilbo quickly stood to his feet, causing the dwarrows to all shift uncomfortably in their not to secretive gossip.

“Right. Well, you all can continue to act strangely but I’m going for a wash.” He stated simply, with just the smallest amount of ice in his voice. The others all stared at him blankly, seemingly stunned. Not that he cared, a headache forming in his sinuses from how strongly they all stunk of orc and troll blood. 

Bilbo quickly gathered his things before marching off in an aggravated huff, not even bothering to acknowledge their collective stares. Dwarfs- honestly??

It took a few helpful elves to point him in the right direction but soon enough he had found the bathhouses, losing almost all of his energy by the time he had reached them of course. But at the sight of them, glorious and steaming in the evening air, Bilbo didn’t care about his headache anymore. The water was heated, no doubt by elvish magic and murky white from added scents and soaps. Bilbo struggled to hide a laugh, thinking it would be a little silly to get this worked up over a bath. Even if he was, perhaps, a little too excited.

The hobbit happily tugged off his filthy clothes and waded down into the bath with a few hesitant strides. The warm water did miracles to for his aching head, not to mention how pleasing it was to watch the grit and grime melt away from his skin. Dunking his head bellow the water, Bilbo allowed himself a giggle as he tossed his golden curls around. Yes, this was exactly what he needed. 

Walking back over towards the edge, the hobbit took up his clothes and dunked them too bellow the water. Carefully, he began to work the soap into the fibers of his clothes. He tried his best to scrub out the grime from under the buttons of his vest but was quickly distracted by something far more important.  
A stain on the inside of his breeches, hardly visible now in the murky water but clear as day to the trained eye. Oh, dear. 

Swift and rehearsed fingers ducked bellow the waves and spread sweetly between his plush thighs, dipping in for just a moment to check and - oh..oh dear.  
Bilbo felt a wave of shame and embarrassment wash over his very soul. The hot water did nothing to relive him as his hands flew up to grasp his mouth in an effort to hide his gasp. The adrenaline, from their brush with the orcs must have triggered his pre-heat. This was bad, he thought for sure he had calculated his next heat to hit well after their return. As such, he had failed to pack any suppressants with him. 

“Excuse me, Mr. Baggins”

Bilbo all but screamed in surprise as a voice from behind him caught him off guard. The hobbit quickly ducked bellow the water, now was not a good time! Hesitantly, he peeked up to catch sight of Balin who was peering down at him from the edge of the bath. 

“Oh, I’m sorry there lad, didn’t mean to frighten ya” The older dwarf smiled at him and Bilbo noticed Ori peeking out from behind him. 

“We were wondering if ya wouldn’t mind us joining you?” Balin asked, Ori starring past him with a worried expression. Bilbo wasn’t sure what to do but as usual, his manners beat out his embarrassment and he met the two dwarrows with a kind nod in agreement. 

“Thank you! We won’t be but a moment, I promise” Balin reassured, which Bilbo thought was kind but unnecessary. Why should he be given all the rights to the bath after all? But he didn’t question it. Instead, he turned away from the others and waited for the splashes that indicated they had finally joined him. 

Bilbo carefully turned back towards his companions, making sure to take a few steps farther into deeper water to hide his nakedness from sight. As much as he had come to trust these dwarfs, he still did not fancy them seeing him naked. That of course, was not a worry which any of them seemed to share with him, as Balin proudly stretched his muscular arms above his head, the water barely topping off bellow his navel. Ori was at least a bit more discrete, being one of the younger members of the troop. He seemed perfectly at home hugging the edge, keeping his back pressed up against the smooth ceramic wall while he washed.

Bilbo did his best to hide the flush that persistently hung around his ears. 

“Bilbo..” Balin started, which caught the Hobbit a little off guard yet again. Still, he turned and smiled, even as Balin made his way over to him. 

“I ah...Well- I wanted to apologize on behalf of the company” Balin explained. This didn’t surprise Bilbo, he found it easy to believe they would all have one of their more gentle members come and do their dirty work. This was probably Thorin’s idea, the brute. 

“It’s just that they aren’t used to the presence of..well... You know” The older dwarf trailed off after that and Bilbo felt his temper return to him. He knew where this was going. 

“Of what? Hobbits?” He snapped, standing to his full height in an effort to make himself seem a little more intimidating. He had seen the doubt they had all laid upon him, the giggles the teasing when they thought he couldn’t hear them. Not to mention the ridicule offered to him by their king. But this was ridiculous. Balin’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth to continue but Bilbo wouldn’t let him.

“I know I’m not as strong as you lot! Or perhaps not as seasoned in the art of stabbing!” Bilbo waved his hands around as he spoke “But if you think I’m going to sit by and let a bunch of thick-headed dwarfs judge me by-” He was about to get to his point when Balin placed a hand over his mouth.

“No lad! Omegas! They aren’t used to the company of... Omegas..” He trailed off again and thank goodness he did because Bilbo was sure his understanding of the conversation followed after him. 

“I- You-..Excuse me?” He muttered. 

“So it’s true then Mr. Bilbo! You’re an omega?” Ori joined in, gliding through the water at the new, more interesting turn of things. Bilbo could only blink in further confusion. 

“Yes, of course, I am” He stated simply. The bewildered look on Ori’s face didn’t falter, and Balin smiled weakly next to him.

“Why is that... So surprising?” Bilbo asked.

“Because you’re likely the first omega most any of them have ever met” Balin answered and this, was frightfully surprising to Bilbo. 

“Ya see lad, ya ever wonder why the birth rate among Dwarfs is so low?” Balin asked. Bilbo couldn’t honestly say that he had even given the topic that much thought, seeing as it had been only recently that his interest in dwarfs had risen at all. So he simply shook his head. 

“Well... that’s because most Dwarfs are alphas” Balin answered him and almost immediately, Bilbo’s complexion paled. It was true he was an omega, and honestly, that fact had never been of particular interest to him. Most hobbits were omegas, with betas making up the rest of the population. Hobbits as a species were very kind, sociable, and respectful of the idea of creation or rebirth. It stood to reason then that the majority of the population’s gender would reflect their admiration for child-bearing. The idea of another secondary gender, alpha, was an idea tossed around the table between the most seasoned hobbits. A name riddled with suspicion and prejudice it was, never spoken around kits or in good company if ever at all.  
Bilbo himself had heard the horror stories of what that third gender was capable of, what their feral and animalistic desires made them do. Nightmarish visions of strong hands pinning him down and taking what they wanted without consequence, terrible rumors of their dangerously sharp teeth. Without realizing it, Bilbo had taken a large step back away from Balin and Ori, his hands starting to shake a little under the water. 

Balin chuckled, raising his hands in defense “Now, now lad calm down,” he soothed “Ori and I are betas” Bilbo relaxed, releasing a breath he hadn’t known he had been holding. Balin smiled, continuing to chuckle even as Bilbo treaded hesitantly back into their space. 

“Now I understand there are no alphas in hobbit communities correct?” Balin asked, to which Bilbo nodded in agreement, still a little shaken up.

“Correct. Ive never even..well- I guess I have met one now..several..” Bilbo said, his words slowly sinking in. Oh, dear... He had been on the road with alphas this whole time. So far away from home, outnumbered and surrounded...

“Wow! That’s incredible Bilbo” Ori said, snapping the hobbit out of his fears. 

“It is not! Balin, how do you and Ori feel safe around them?” He asked, having the decency to lower his voice as he asked. The two dwarfs only starred at him.

“I beg your pardon?” Balin asked after another chuckle. 

“You know.. Alphas are bloodthirsty killing machines! I can’t believe I hadn’t noticed up until now..I..-” He trailed off as the confused looks on his companion’s faces grew wider. A silence fell between them, that was until Balin interrupted with a hearty laugh. 

“Oh! Oh lad, now I see where the confusion has come from!” He smiled and braced an arm against the hobbit’s shoulder, much to Bilbo’s dismay. 

“Lad, I think it’s time we all had a heart to heart” 

\-------------------------------

Thorin was pacing, that was never a good sign, not in all the years that Bofur had known him. It had been nearly an hour since Bilbo had left and Balin had gone after him. The sun was starting to set and the time was growing late, but darkness wasn’t the only thing now hanging over the company’s head. 

“Did you catch a whiff of him? Like sugar, or maybe candied fruits!” Kili remarked, tossing a small wooden ball back and forth with his brother. Fili nodded in agreement before piping up himself. 

“Yeah, but before he left, it turned a little bitter. What happened there?” Kili offered his brother a shrug before tossing the ball back to him. 

“I can’t believe I didn’t spot it before,” Nori remarked from his position leaned against the wall. Bofur glared back at him.

“Oh yeah? And how do ya figure?” He asked in annoyance. Nori shrugged “It’s just, he’s so small”

“Enough,” Thorin said, a dull echo in his voice which effectively shut the other party members up. Bofur raised his eyebrows and bit the inside of his cheek, choosing instead to focus on the small wooden trolly he had been carving for the past two days now. No doubt Thorin was feeling a tad bit sour over the whole thing, but as to the reason why, Bofur was still unsure. He might have just worked up the courage to ask- if it hadn’t been for the interruption. 

“Pardon me, lads” The company all turned and were relieved to find Balin standing at the entrance of the terrace, a wet headed Ori in tow. 

“Thank ya’ all for your patients, our Burgalar would like your attention now,” The older dwarrow said and stepped aside to reveal, Bilbo. 

He was damp and clearly nervous by the way he hugged Balin’s side. Bofur had to stop himself before considering him to be kinda cute, with his hair all poofed up the way it was. Any thought of compliment left him after seeing how upset Bilbo seemed. Not to mention the not so- pleasant aroma hanging around him. Whether it was from the baths, or from his and his pack’s recent revelation, Bofur couldn’t say. All he knew was that the scent their burglar had carried with him before, wildflowers and sugar cane- had suddenly soured and it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up on edge. 

“I..I um..” The hobbit started, and then stopped, unsure of how to proceed. The dwarrows all starred, quite unashamedly so, and honestly, Bofur had never been taken quite so off guard. Here was the halfling that stood up to trolls, being scared senseless by a handful of dwarfs.

“Go on lad, it’s alright” Balin tried to encourage him, but ultimately Bilbo seemed to lose the internal struggle he was fighting.

“I-I’m sorry...evening.” He muttered before scurrying off. The dwarfs watched him go, Balin, letting out a sigh of disappointment. Bofur immediately felt guilty, as he was sure the others all felt as well. They sat in silence for a while after that, not sure what to do next.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo is pleasantly surprised, but also completely unprepared

Bilbo worried idly against the crust of his fifth piece of honeyed toast. Powdered sugar clung to his lips as well as his fingertips but not even that could soothe the terrible mood he was in this morning. Sleeping alone he could deal with, sleeping alone on the floor of some lavish, Elvish palace- was another ordeal. In the end, that’s what he deserved for running away like a coward. Away from his bedroll and his tiny yet acceptable pillow.

Luckily one of Elrond’s attendants and found him and had offered him a room but by then the damage to his back had already been done. He ached, both in his shoulders and in his heart. He wouldn’t have gone so far as to say he missed his dwarvish company, but he certainly missed the security that he had gotten accustomed to by sleeping near them. At the very least he had missed their body heat, and perhaps a deeper- more instinctual- part of him had missed being part of a group.  
He groaned, rolling his head against his shoulders. How ridiculous. He should have stayed and talked to them- sure they were... Alphas... But it was just as Balin had told him yesterday. He knew them.  
Just because he now knew they were alphas didn’t suddenly throw out what he already knew of their character. He could talk to them about it, right?

“Good Morning Mr.Boggins!” 

No. Not right. Absolutely not right. Bilbo’s spine tingled at the sound of a familiar voice, he wasn’t surprised at all when he turned to find Kili standing at the farther side of the long breakfast table. The distance the young prince was keeping was appreciated, but his presence in general still made Bilbo uncomfortable. Bilbo took a deep breath ‘Its alright, it’s just Kili, You know Kili’ he told himself. 

“Morning.” The hobbit replied, nervously chewing on his toast. Kili smiled and reached for an apple off the table, taking a large bite before pulling out a chair and taking a seat.

Bilbo was expecting something.. Something a bit more- on character for the prince. Watching him simply sit and eat quietly was probably more suspicious than if he had snuck up on the Hobbit and bit him. Still, though, Kili wasn’t hurting anybody and Bilbo would be hard-pressed to deny the persistent fondness that had endured between him and the young prince since the start of their journey. Bilbo had always been fond of children, whether they be kits or nearly gown fauntlings. They had an air of innocence around them that Bilbo couldn’t help but cherish. Dwarflings, as it seemed, were no exception.

“Sleep well Mr. Boggins?” Kili asked around another mouthful of apple. 

“Unfortunately not… Ive got a horrible crick in my- oh no..Kili, swallow before you speak please” Bilbo said as the young prince choked around a laugh. Kili offered a thumbs-up as he managed to contain the mess he was making and Bilbo couldn’t help but smile at his silliness. 

“Careful there brother!” Fili said, rounding the corner and slapping a hand across Kili’s back, making the brunette cough again. Bilbo rolled his eyes.

“Fili, leave your brother be and sit down to eat,” He said, absent-mindedly pushing a plate of toast towards the elder of the two princes. Fili smiled as he grabbed one for each hand.

“Thank you, Bilbo!” He said and took a seat next to Kili before digging in. Bilbo watched them both with a smile, his mood slowly swelling into something at least a tad bit better than melancholy. That was until the two of them started roughhousing at the breakfast table. 

“Ow! Fili!”

“Boys.”

“Hey, watch it!”

“Boys! Oh no- Kili put the honey bread dow- Kili!” 

And that was how Fili ended up seated next to Bilbo with the hobbit’s fingers trailing through his golden hair. A wet cloth held in hand, Bilbo worked meticulously to rid his now messy braids of honey. Fili would flinch every now and then as Bilbo met a particularly sticky knot, the hobbit offering his brother a glare every time. 

“Sorry, Bilbo…” Kili said as he leaned against the hobbit’s shoulder. 

“Don’t apologize to me, apologize to your brother” Bilbo snapped back, letting out a sigh as Kili’s familiar weight pressed into him. 

“Sorry, Fi..” The younger of the princes muttered an apology which his brother took with a smile, wincing a little as Bilbo pulled a sticky bead from his hair. 

They sat that way for a while, the two princes waiting patiently until Bilbo was able to put Fili’s hair back in order. He wasn’t as skilled at the dwarfs with braiding but he thought Kili could take care of that part. What he really needed to do was to get the honey out of Fili’s hair before ants or other creepy crawlies took it as an invitation. Some sort of deeply seeded instinct told Bilbo he didn’t want bugs in the dwarfling’s hair, that he had to keep it clean and presentable. 

“Bilbo? Did you know you smell nice?” Kili asked, breaking the comfortable silence and sending a chill down Bilbo’s spine. The hobbit tensed and Fili reacted as well, nervously looking into Bilbo’s eyes. 

“I.. I suppose I never noticed it, no” Bilbo responded, trying his best to calm his nerves. It had been a nice few moments of peace, forgetting that such a thing existed between the three of them. Bilbo would have much rather kept the stress out of his affairs with the princes, he considered them to be exempt from it all, seeing as they were still so young. 

“Fi and I are alphas and our ma’ was a beta. We’ve never met an omega before” Kili remarked, fiddling with the tassels along the edge of his shirt “In fact, I don’t think anyone besides Balin had ever met one at all”

“That’s not true Ki, Grandmother was an omega don’t you remember ma’ tell’n us?” Fili piped up, which caught Bilbo’s attention. Thorin’s mother, had been an omega? So Dwarfs did have omegas he thought to himself.  
Well, why go make a big deal about it then!?

“Bilbo, what do I smell like?” Kili asked suddenly, catching the hobbit off guard. 

“I beg your pardon?” Bilbo asked. Kili laughed and sat up a little bit in his chair before continuing. 

“Balin said that omega’s have the strongest sense of smell- that they can smell things other folk cant” He explained “You smell like fruit and sugar cookies to me, what do I smell like to you?” 

Bilbo couldn’t help the blush that crept across his cheeks, his brow knitting together tightly as he bristled.  
“I- well I-” He struggled to find an answer to that. Truth be told he had never given it too much attention. 

It was natural for him to take in the world through more than just his eyes and ears. It had been how he was taught. Hobbit kits were instructed on how to tell how ripe a fruit or vegetable was by its smell, and how to find mushrooms under the leaf litter in the fall. Bilbo could smell a patch of flowers from a few yards off and he was also capable of predicting the weather on a good day. Honestly, he had thought it was just a hobbit thing, but seeing as this behavior had been taken to as strange since the start of his adventure, he guessed it made sense. 

Still, though, the particular scents of his company had never perked his interest. Mostly because they never really smelled of anything besides dirt or the occasional smothering of orc blood. Just the thought of it caused Bilbo’s headache to return. Bilbo could recall the occasional tinge of metal or ash lingering around one or two of them but in the end, the smell of the outside always outweighed anything else. 

“I can’t say… perhaps if the two of you would bathe regularly I’d be able to answer that” Bilbo decided, taking a considerable amount of pleasure in seeing the dwarfling’s faces scrunch up. 

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Kili asked, shocked. Bilbo couldn’t help but laugh a little at that. 

“It means your horses smell better after a rainstorm than you lot do on a good day!” The Hobbit rocked a little in his seat from laughter “omega or not, I wouldn’t go out of my way to sniff any of you!” He said, smiling as the brothers gawked at one another from across the table. 

It was then that the two princes shifted their gazes to somewhere down the corridor before shooting to their feet and scurrying off down the hall. Bilbo watched them go in surprise and could have sworn he heard the scurry of many other pairs of feet following after them. 

\-------------------------------

Finishing up breakfast on his own was pleasant after his run-in with the princes. They did what they normally did and made him feel a bit more relaxed, which was a welcomed feeling indeed, what with his ever-persistent backache. Now he was faced with what to do next. What he really wanted to do was take a trip to the elvish library, Lord Elrond had bragged about his collection their first night here and the hobbit was more than interested in taking a peek. But the fluttering warmth in his lower stomach insisted on dragging his attention back towards more important matters. The wilderness was no place for him to spend a heat, let alone surrounded on all sides by alphas. 

So instead of the library, Bilbo slowly started to make his way to where he assumed the medical rooms were located. He wasn’t too sure if elves had heats or not, but they knew almost everything else about herbs so if anyone in the realm were to have access to suppressants, they would. 

The winding, wandering halls of Rivendell seemed to go on for miles, the tall and vine-like structures of the architecture reaching high into the trees. Bilbo found himself enchanted by the way the light of the outside was allowed to spill into the halls, pooling around the smooth edges of every stone pathway. It was almost a disappointment when he made his way to the right room, he missed the tranquility of his wanderings. 

The elf on staff was very kind, giving him an ample supply of suppressants for the road. They had indicated to Bilbo that there was no substitute for a hobbit-sized dose and that he should be careful upon ingesting them. The small tablets were only to be used right before the peak of his heat, too much might cause unnecessary side effects. Bilbo had nodded in understanding, a little disappointed to hear he would have to deal with his pre-heat, but thankful none the less. He had taken what he was given with a smile and then bid the elf a good day. 

Everything seemed to be tipping back into a regular rhythm around mid-day when Bilbo found himself walking along the path nearest the library. He had gotten lost, but purposely so, quite enjoying walking around the many gardens and terraces. Now he was finally on his way to Lord Elrond’s collection, a pleasant skip in his step.  
He was almost at the door when the sight of something very peculiar indeed caught his eye. 

The dwarfs, seated outside in the middle of one of the larger courtyards. At surface value, this didn’t seem too strange, but it was what they were up to that caught Bilbo’s attention. Each one of them was dressed in only their breeches and undershirts, peddling around against the smooth stone and setting out their bulkier layers to dry. Bilbo squinted in the sun, peeking out around one of the many wooden support columns that lined the pathways. 

Bofur was wringing out his hat into one of the fountains, shaking it about before handing it to Dori who placed it next to his coat on the ground. Bombur was seated with Gloin and Oin, the three of them braiding each other’s beards in a circle. Ori was sitting cross-legged in the sun, scribbling in his notebook next to Nori who was busy re-doing his mess of complicated beard braids. Bilbo could see Balin walking next to Dwalin, the two brothers looking down over their clothes. The elder of the two seemed to be scolding the younger about something but Bilbo couldn’t hear over the giggles of the princes who sat closest to him at the wall. Kili was struggling to braid Fili’s mustache and so far he had only gotten half of it done before his brother broke out into a laughing fit.

Who caught his eye in particular though was none other than Thorin, who was standing surely in the middle of the mess, looking over his troop with dark and calculating eyes. His wild black hair was tied back, still dripping wet down the back of his undershirt. 

The fact that Thorin stole his gaze was not surprising to Bilbo, he was well aware of his slight infatuation with his majesty’s hard-head. Not that he would ever admit it. But this, in particular, was very interesting.

It seemed, as though the Dwarfs had all given themselves and their belongings a very thorough wash. 

“Bilbo!”  
The hobbit squeaked in surprise as Kili called up to him, laughing as he stood to his feet. He and Fili both scampered up the path to meet him, causing Bilbo to flinch back a little behind the pillar. 

“Fili, Kili, what on earth are you all up to?” Bilbo asked, catching himself before he laughed at how ridiculous Fili looked with only one-half of his mustache braided. 

“Come see and we’ll tell you!” Kili said, reaching forward to take one of Bilbo’s arms in his own.  
The Hobbit opened his mouth to object but before he could, he was cut off by a very pleasant tingling through his nose. His eyes fluttered as he took a deep breath, a whole new array of scents flooding through his senses as Fili took up his other arm. The brother’s smelled oddly pleasant, like windblown grass and cedar trees. Bilbo found himself liking it more and more by the second, not even minding as the two brothers dragged him out into the courtyard. 

The other dwarrows all rose to attention, staying in their places but starring intently towards their princes and burglar in tow. As Bilbo passed them all he came to realize that they all carried new scents with them, things he had never noticed about them before. Fresh wood shavings and parchment paper, leather, and longleaf. The hobbit was almost overwhelmed, so much information being wired into his head at all once. So this is what Alpha’s smelled like.

“Ah, hello Bilbo” Balin greeted him as the princes delivered him. The hobbit regarded him with cloudy eyes, blinking a few times to clear his head. It was Balin who smelled of parchment, of dusty libraries and vanilla candle wax. Even as a beta, his scent was so much stronger than that of any hobbit Bilbo had ever met.

“Hullo…” Bilbo muttered, still trying to keep his head from spinning. 

“Are you feeling quite well this evening?” Balin asked, a subtle chuckle hidden behind his words. 

‘“Mm- Hm? Oh yes, quite well” Bilbo replied. Kili and Fili both snickered at each other next to him, causing him to glare at them under his heavy eyelids. 

“I hope you don’t mind we took the liberty of doing the washing” The royal adviser nervously gestured towards the neatly arranged lines of clothes. Bilbo simply nodded his head, finding it a little difficult to focus on more than just the dwarf’s face at the moment. 

“We hope it’s to your liking,” Balin said, and this caught Bilbo off guard. What was that supposed to mean?

“He seems to be liking it, doesn’t he Dwalin?” Kili laughed. Bilbo chanced a glance up to the taller dwarf who regarded him with a snort, turning his head quickly to the side to hide the smallest inklings of a blush. Bilbo stammered, what on earth was going on here?

It seemed as though Balin read his mind and opened his mouth to answer, but an overwhelming presence cut him off. Bilbo thought he had just stepped into a rainstorm, the heavy scent of storm clouds bearing down on top of him as he whipped around to meet a very familiar cobalt gaze.

“We are sorry, to have upset you, Master Baggins,” Thorin’s voice itself usually caused Bilbo to erupt into goose flesh- let alone this newly accompanying scent. He thought he might pass just from the shock. 

“I-I, Oh, well-” The hobbit struggled for words, a goofy smile starting to spread across his face at just how-

Wow- Thorin smelled amazing. 

“Am I to suspect this is… Your doing then?” Bilbo struggled to say, not being able to tear his gaze away from Thorin’s own. The king smiled slightly, a rare sight indeed, before looking over to his advisor.

“No, Balin suggested it. Siad that it would help you relax” He said. Bilbo had to agree there, he felt looser than a well-worn pair of corduroys. 

“You see Bilbo, we’re sorry about the way we reacted to your class..” Balin started, “Caught us all off guard was all” 

Bilbo nodded sleepily as the older dwarf continued on. 

“And well, based on what I have seen between mixed packs… Ive been thinking that perhaps this arrangement would benefit us all” Balin smiled gently, and Bilbo nodded in agreement before common sense tackled him from behind.  
Wait- what?

“I beg your pardon, Balin?” He snapped, causing the others to flinch a little. Balin winced and calmly started again. 

“Oh, nothing improper I assure you, Mr. Baggins!” He fretted, waving his hands in front of him. Bilbo regarded him hesitantly but lowered his guard.

“I only mean..that packs of men are often made up of mixed classes,” he explained “alphas, betas and omegas alike. During my time amongst them, I noticed how this equation seemed to benefit them all, with the omegas keeping their more rowdy pack members in line” 

Bilbo was listening but was still hesitant of his words, feeling a little more open to the idea thanks to the mix of relaxing scents around him. It really was intoxicating, from here Bilbo could even feel Thorin’s body heat radiating off of him. Oh, how he would simply love to melt back against that broad chest and get lost within his ebony curls and- Bilbo! Quit that- you’re a Baggins for goodness sake!

He shook his head and tried to tune back into the conversation. 

“So you see, up until now, our little troop has been rather..” Balin struggled to find the right words. 

“Aggravating” Luckily Dwalin was there to help him along. Balin glared at him but ended up agreeing with him anyway. 

“Y-Yes. We may all be kin at heart but being as we are all mostly alphas, we tend to tread on each other’s toes sometimes” The older brother sighed, seemingly directing his words to a few party members in particular. Fili and Kili whistled and averted their gazes, even Thorin was conveniently distracted. 

“I think having you around might do these old dwarrows some good. Omegas are said to bring with them a calming aura, something that brings folk together” Balin smiled as he spoke the last few words and Bilbo flushed a little at the thought. 

“Do...Do you think I do that?” He asked and before Balin could answer, Kili went to open his mouth. Thorin was quick to slap a hand over it though and the action went unnoticed by the Hobbit.

“That remains to be seen but I still think some pack bonding could do us all a world of good, yes?” He laughed and Bilbo really did blush this time. Pack bonding? With a collection of Dwarfs??

Bilbo had lived the majority of his life pack-less, seeing as his parents had passed relatively early and the rest of the Shire somehow labeled him as an oddball. He was quite sure that the last time he had any sort of pack structure was when he was a kit. Memories of him and his cousins playing together in the meadows, only to collapse into a pile for a mid-day nap filled his mind. He knew the details of pack bonding from those early days, the benefits of scenting and the comfort in a pack mentality but- did dwarfs do that sort of thing?? Or even want it??

Taking in the sight of Kili and Fili’s nearly bursting smiles and Dwalins hard to believe blush- he guessed that they did. 

Bilbo sputtered, feeling absolutely ridiculous being placed into this predicament. He couldn’t believe this was actually happening to him.  
“So, what do you say Bilbo?” Balin pressed, keeping a gentle smile drawn across his face. Bilbo hesitated and perhaps the Took side of him had stolen the reigns when he nodded in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fluff fluff FLUFF!  
> I started this fic to wrote porn I ended up with a stuffed animal.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The king under the mountain- took all of his thoughts very seriously.  
> So much so that on occasion, he had been known to be sort of obsessive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh wow, guys thanks so much for the feedback! It means a lot to hear you enjoyed this so far!  
> anyway- I'm a softie for this pack of wards, I hope you enjoy this fluff!

Thorin was not usually the type to get caught up in his own head. Oh, he did his fair share of self-reflection just as any dwarf did- but it was uncommon for him to doubt himself.  
He lived his life with one purpose; to rise up and reclaim his homeland.  
It was through this one guiding principle that he lived his life and led his people, using it as a compass to judge his decisions and actions. Would what he was doing help his family? Would choosing to take this path bring them closer to their goal? These were the things he asked himself every day and very rarely did anything come before them. 

So when Balin had asked him to take a bath for the sake of their smallest company member, he had perhaps spent too much time considering it. Luckily, it seemed as though he wasn’t the only one with doubts.

“So what exactly, is this helping?” Dwalin asked, crossing his arms over his bare chest and leaning back against the edge of the bath. Thorin regarded him with a side-eye, waiting for his friend’s question- and subsequently his own- to be answered. Balin turned and rolled his eyes at the two brooding dwarfs 

“I told ya, Bilbo is an omega and he thinks we’re all going to kill him” He explained. This must have come as a shock to Dwalin too because he mirrored Thorin in the way their eyebrows raised in surprise. 

“That’s nonsense! Why all it would take would be a little kick, not even a challenge!” Gloin laughed, quickly losing his enthusiasm when Balin glared at him. 

“Balin, why does Mr. Bilbo think we are going to kill him?” Kili asked, wrestling out of his older brother’s grasp as Fili messed with his hair in the water. 

“Because there are no alpha’s in the shire, and it seems they’ve been given quite the grizzly reputation” Balin answered him, running a hand through his beard “The poor lad went on and on about how cruel and feral they were” 

“Well, he’s not wrong there~” Fili teased, earning a sharp jab in the side from his uncle who had now begun to untie his braids.

“This is serious lads, it’s very rude to upset an omega let alone allow one to live in fear of ya” Balin hissed through closed teeth, splashing the prince with water for his trouble. 

“Why’s that then?” Bofur asked, scrubbing at the fabric of his hat with his nails. 

Thorin knew the answer to this question, even before Balin had turned to answer. He could remember even now, the soft caress of his mother’s hands against his face and the gentle brush of her whiskers on his cheeks. His mother, Fris, had been the most enchanting creature he had ever met. He could still recall her blond hair, so rich in light that it resembled molten gold when let loose from its braids. She had passed that golden hair down to Thorin’s brother, Frerin, and then onto Fili through his sister, Dis.  
Fris had been mighty for her class, a brave and talented swordsman as well as a gentle and caring mother. She was treasured by her husband, her people, and her children most of all. Dwarven omegas were the rarest of their kind, truly she was special beyond measure and Thorin above all others understood the magic that had seemed to follow her.  
Omegas were valuable in the way a nice pair of wool socks were. They were valued not for their shelf life, but how warm and fuzzy they made you feel inside. To be around them was to know happiness itself. 

“Huh. I always thought they were just glorified baby-makers” Nori snarked which made Thorin’s eye twitch. Luckily, Dori beat him to smacking the younger dwarf outside the head. 

“Aye, it’s true that they are known as the child-bearing class. But they are fearsome in their own right lads” Balin said, wagging a finger out in front of his face “You all have seen just how witty and clever out little burglar can be”

“Yeah, just about as cuddly as a pinecone” Bombur joked, to which the company agreed. 

“I still don’t see how our bathing is going to help him,” Dwalin said, leaning out of reach of Fili’s soapy hands. 

“Well beyond the basic idea of personal hygiene-” Balin said, rolling his eyes “You remember how sweetly he smelled when we arrived?” 

The company collectively nodded, a few of them smiling just from the memory.

“That’ll be his omega pheromones. A kind of chemical perfume that makes ya feel good to be around him. It triggers emotions in your head that make ya happy” Balin explained, earning him a few curious looks “As long as he’s happy of course” 

“Oh yeah! Last night, he was upset and smelled bitter?” Kili interjected and Balin nodded in acknowledgment. 

“Yep, his scent will change depending on his mood. Even more of a reason to keep him happy” Balin smiled “Just wait lads, you’ll know what I mean when we’re done”

“Alright. But why is it only now we can smell him?” Bofur cocked an eyebrow up towards him, taking a break from scrubbing his shoulders. The others all murmured in agreement and Balin felt a small dusting of pink come to his ears. 

“Well... that’s on account of his heat ya see” He murmured. Fili and Kili both stared at each other as if searching for an explanation while the others all shared a knowing look. 

“He’ll smell a tad bit stronger during the next week or two but now after you know what to look for ill expect you’ll smell it more often” The older dwarf chuckled as he rinsed himself off.  
Thorin placed his family hair beads to the side before dunking his head beneath the warm water. His strong fingers scratched deep at his scalp and he had to admit, he was thankful for the elves and their plumbing.  
It stood to reason that keeping the member of their company who could influence everyone’s emotions, happy, was in the best interest of its leader. And so Thorin did as he was told. Did he believe that Bilbo was worth all of the trouble, perhaps not, but even he couldn’t deny how his nephews had grown fond of the hobbit. Bilbo was a handful, but Thorin was no monster. He would bend a little backward to reap the benefits of the omega’s biology, for the benefit of his company and for that reason alone. 

Even if there was a darker, more primal side of him that wanted to prove how capable of an alpha he was. A distant flame of pride flickered at the idea, the thought of showing the omega how dedicated he was, how willing he was to sacrifice for him.  
He dared to wonder, would Bilbo be impressed? 

Balin suddenly spoke over the steady murmur of voices, snapping Thorin back to reality.  
“Now then, everyone hurry up, we’ve got the laundry to do next” 

\-------------------------------

Bilbo was impressed. Well, as impressed as he could be without feeling overly awkward. He found himself seated back amongst his company, the evening sun slowly starting to set over the edge of the horizon. He had accompanied the dwarfs back to their little encampment on the eastern terrace after Gandalf had instructed them to, insisting he had some business to take care of. Just like Gandalf to leave Bilbo alone in the thick of things. 

And so here he was, finally seated back atop his bedroll but now cornered on all sides by very curious dwarrows. A few of them were messing around with their belongings, Bofur, for example, was back to work on his small wooden trolly. He was working on the wheels at the moment, Bilbo found himself entranced at how small of detail the dwarf could achieve with just the dull end of a simple knife. Tiny daisies encircled the wheels, dancing around in a fairy chain, the grain of the wood following suit and flowing against them like amber water. 

“Ya’ like it?” Bofur asked, causing Bilbo to look up and flinch a little at how close he had leaned in towards the dwarf. 

“I- oh, yes! Yes, it’s very nice” Bilbo stammered, earning him a very warm smile from the dwarf. Bofur held his gaze for a moment, searching for something in his eyes. 

“Excuse me, Mr. Baggins” Balin’s voice cut in, separating the two and causing Bilbo to struggle back into his own space. 

“Y-Yes?” The hobbit answered him. Balin offered him a gentle nod.

“A few of the lads have some questions for ya’ if ya’ don’t mind them asking?” The older dwarf asked. Bilbo blinked a few times in response before fidgeting with his coat. Oh, Yavannah here we go.

“Oh, oh no go-ahead that’s fine,” He said, worrying a little at his bottom lip. Luckily, it seemed the first two hands up were those of the princes and Bilbo was confident he could handle them. 

“Yes, Fili” Bilbo answered him first.

“What exactly is pack bonding?” Fili asked plain and simple. Bilbo would have been thankful if it hadn’t been such a loaded question. Honestly, did dwarfs not practice it in any capacity? 

“Well..” Bilbo started off hesitantly, which drew the attention of every other dwarf in the area “Its… what pack members do with each other to affirm their bonds with each other” He answered simply. The silence he got in return was more than telling. 

“Like what exactly?” Kili followed up. Bilbo bit his lips and twirled a finger through his hair.  
“Well… like sleeping near each other, or sharing contact of any kind really” Bilbo responded, looking up to meet the prince's curious gazes. 

“Ah ya’ mean like when you comb our hair?” Kili asked, causing a few of their company to stare at Bilbo as though he had grown another head. The hobbit nodded in response.  
“So that’s why I always feel so happy afterward” Fili replied with a smile, Kili agreeing as they both chuckled together. Bilbo felt his heart soften at their antics. 

“Could it be any kind of contact or is it more specific than that?” Ori asked as he looked up from taking notes. Bilbo bit the inside of his cheek 

“Its preferable skin contact… but just being around each other is enough. Well… besides scenting” He added the last bit on as an afterthought but almost immediately regretted it. He could see the spark of curiosity behind his company’s eyes. 

“Scenting? Like how parents do with their dwarflings?” Bofur asked. Bilbo winced a little as he nodded in agreement. 

“Yes, but... It’s not an act reserved for parents and kits. It can be between packmates, and it..well it feels…” Bilbo trailed off as he remembered how wonderful it felt to be accepted into a pack. To have the security of your friends always at your side, the comfort of knowing they would always be there for you.  
His cousin Drogo had made a point to scent him before every trip to the market they had taken as fauntlings. He had been so proud to present as a beta, Bilbo bet that he would have been an alpha if it had been his choice. Drogo was always the braver hobbit between them, certainly not as brave as his childhood sweetheart, Primula. But then again she was a Brandybuck. 

Bilbo suddenly realized he had left his sentence unfinished, looking up to meet the dreamy gaze of almost every dwarf in the company. Had they all been listening so intently? No- Almost meaning that they were missing one very important member-

“Thorin” Gandalf suddenly interjected, walking swiftly through the entrance of the terrace and causing all of the dwarfs to flinch a little where they sat. The king in question revealed himself from his hiding place, emerging from behind a pillar to face the wizard. Bilbo couldn’t help but smile to himself, he had been listening.

“Come, we must act quickly. Bilbo, you come too” Gandalf said, a slight edge of nervousness to his voice. Bilbo quickly jumped at the chance to leave the awkward conversation and joined Thorin next to the wizard. Thorin motioned for Balin to join them and the three quickly followed after the wizard as he walked off into the dark. 

The hobbit looked back at the worried gazes of the dwarfs they had left behind and couldn’t help but feel a little bad. Oh well, if Gandalf had sent for them then it must be important. He would tell them about it when he came back.  
Gandalf quickly turned to Thorin as they walked, explaining in length about how Lord Elrond had agreed to take a look at Thorin’s map. Bilbo only caught some of the conversation in his efforts to keep up with the other’s walking pace but he was just happy to be included. 

“Thank you, my boy,” Balin said after a few moments of walking in silence. Bilbo smiled, thankful that he wasn’t completely third-wheeling this highly important conversation. 

“Oh, it’s fine. I am sorry though, I really am the lousiest omega you could have asked for..” He trailed off. 

Bilbo considered himself to be- well- average. He wasn’t ugly or unlikeable, he liked to think, but he was certainly a loner. It had seemed, up until a few weeks ago, that he had been destined for a lonely life. Now here Balin was, requesting that he of all people help bring this company of dwarfs together. The whole thing seemed a bit too far-fetched. 

“Not at all Bilbo!” Balin objected, Bilbo’s eyes widening in response “ Why you’ve already done our dear princes a world of good, absentmindedly at that. Heavens knows the two of them need a motherly hand in such a stressful venture” 

Bilbo considered his words and had to agree, he could tell that the two brothers were thankful for his company. He feared to imagine what kind of character would have been scrapped off of them if all they had to look forward to were Dwalin’s swordplay exercises. The hobbit mentally scolded himself. ‘Dwalin is a very charming dwarf’ he chuckled ‘in his own way.’

“Why, I think if you were to grow a little bolder, you’d be very impressed by what you could accomplish,” Balin said with a wink, to which Bilbo rolled his eyes with a smile. They continued down the hall until they took a flight of stairs up towards Elrond’s private study. At the entrance, Gandalf stopped them before they went inside. 

“Wait here, I’ll go in and break the ice” The wizard said, offering the others a quick nod before ducking in through the door. Bildo watched him go and curiously peeked around inside, catching a glimpse of many tall shelves of books. Beside him though, he could feel Thorin’s body tensing with every breath. 

“Thorin?” He asked, looking up into the king’s eyes. Bilbo had never seen him look quite so anxious, whatever was about to happen must be weighing heavily on his mind. Thorin did not answer him, as Bilbo had expected and he bit the inside of his cheek. 

Bolder, try and be a little bolder  
Bilbo wasn’t sure what he could do to help, but if this was to be another role of his in the company then he would meet it head-on and try his best. Hesitantly, Bilbo reached a hand up towards Thorin’s face. 

The king reflexively flinched back but once his blue eyes met Bilbo’s, he seemed to relax, as though the hobbit had broken him from a spell. Bilbo continued forward until his hand came to cup Thorin’s bristly cheek. 

“It’s going to be alright” Was all he could think to say, but at that moment it seemed to do the trick.  
Thorin’s shoulders relaxed, a considerable amount of tension leaving them at the sensation of having the omega so close. Bilbo knew it was because the scent gland on his wrist was so close to Thorin’s face but he was still amazed at how it really did seem to help. Thorin looked, somehow softer in this light, the deep creases of his face relaxing and taking away ages from his flesh as he took in several shallow breaths. He looked younger, the cold cerulean of his eyes warming the longer they held Bilbo’s own honey hazel gaze.

“Bilbo..” Thorin exhaled, starting to reach out his own hand before the wizard was there to interject once again. 

“Quickly now, come forward,” He said. Bilbo flinched back as Thorin walked past him, his steely gaze returning but lacking the anxiety that had riddled it before. Bildo watched him go before Balin offered him a reassuring hand to the shoulder. 

“See, what did I tell ya?” The older dwarf said, a crystal clear smile in his voice that even Bilbo at this moment, couldn’t shake. 

\-------------------------------

The next few days were spent mostly waiting around for Gandalf to give them news. Now that Lord Elrond was well aware of their quest, there was apparently a council meeting being put together between him and a few other “important” figures in middle earth to decide their fate. Thorin was convinced that they would try and stop them, a suspicion that their wizard luckily shared with him and was told to keep an eye out for. 

In the meantime though, the company was left to mingle about on their own accord. A few of them, like Dwalin, took the extra time as an excuse to brush up on a few skills. Thorin had found him slashing wide ax marks into the elvish architecture on multiple occasions, not that the king ever felt the need to stop him from doing so. Thorin was rather pleased to see their opinions of this fruity- fairyland written out plain as day, all of their walls. Unlike Balin and Oin, who seemed content to spend their time mingling with their less than friendly hosts. Nori had taken to his usual snooping and Dori trailed after him as the constant mother hen but those seemed to be the only members of his company that Thorin would see regularly since the others were so caught up in more important matters. 

Important meaning, the now addictive company of one, Bilbo Baggins. 

“Oh I see okay, so three claps and then a nod?” Bilbo asked Bifur as the older dwarf nodded in reassurance. The hobbit laughed, feeling a little silly as he tried the hand-signs out for himself. 

“Thorok! ido’l Thorok!” Bifur smiled, causing the others around them to cheer in support. Bilbo laughed until Kili threw his hands up, jostling the flower wreath upon his head. 

“Kili, the lilies!” Bilbo winced, which only made Kili and his ever-present brother laugh harder. Bofur joined in from his spot on the wall and ruffled the young prince's hair, picking up the elaborate crown and placing it on his own head, over his hat. 

“There, much better. I look sweeter in white anyway, Ki” He said before leaning back against the window arch with his flute. The others laughed, offering up their agreement. 

“Just like mother, my dearest brother,” Bombur said, a dramatic tone in his voice which made the others all giggle. Bofur bowed like an actor in a theater at the praise.

“Come on Bilbo, pay attention now!” Fili said and nudged the hobbit on his other side before leaning back against him. Bilbo nodded, regaining his concentration as Bifur went through the motions of another sign. 

Thorin had found them like this, sprawled out under a large willow tree. Bilbo and Bifur were seated in the grass facing each other with the older dwarf instructing the halfling, Fili, and Kili leaning against him on either side. Bofur lazily reclined in the curve of a window and Bombur regarded them all with admiration from his seat on a bench. 

The king had scoffed at first, finding all of his warriors looking rather ridiculous with flowers in their hair and dreamy smiles spread across their lips. The dwarvish race was one of pride and secrecy. Outsiders were generally looked down upon, as dwarfs as a species were extremely territorial. Their culture, their language, and their very friendship was guarded as close as dragon treasure. Being raised in such suspicious conditions made one rather untrusting of the world around them. Thorin was no exception, and it took everything he had to open up to the hobbit who now sat so fondly in the center of his company. But the more he watched them, the more he found his heart starting to ache. 

Bofur would occasionally tease the halfling on his work, catching one of the falling willow leaves in his hands. The dwarfs would laugh and the hobbit would shoot a friendly glare his way, before breaking out into a laugh of his own and Thorin couldn't help- couldn't stop himself from thinking-  
Bilbo’s laugh was enchanting.

The edges of his mouth would turn up at the ends, pressing fondly into the dimples which so gracefully blessed his cheeks. The edges of his eyes would crinkle and his curls would bounce against his soft framed face. Thorin found himself bewitched. 

“What on earth are they doing?” Dwalin’s sharp voice cut through Thorin, suddenly making the king aware of how much starring he had been up to. He didn't answer, beyond shrugging his shoulders Dwalin’s way and the warrior shook his head. 

“Ridiculous, dunklir..” Dwalin scoffed in Khuzdul before thundering off towards the little gathering. Thorin watched as he towered over them, placing his hands on his hips and scolding Bilbo who starred up at him. 

Fili and Kili rose to his defense and Bofur leaned up to glare at the war-hardened dwarf in the eyes. Bifur nudged Bilbo to the side and gestured his hand forward to which Bilbo nodded before offering Dwalin a series of hand-signs. The group erupted into laughter as Dwalin gawked in surprise. Bilbo- apparently- had no idea what he had just said and only starred around in confusion.  
Dwalin snorted before turning to walk away but stopped when the hobbit stood to his feet and took hold of his arm. When Dwalin turned back to him, Bilbo held out a hand and presented him with a lily. Thorin couldn't hold back a laugh- that he just as quickly swallowed when Dwalin actually leaned down and allowed the hobbit to tuck the flower behind his ear. The surrounding dwarfs laughed at the way Dwalin sputtered in response and Thorin couldn't believe his eyes. 

When Dwalin eventually made his escape he was wearing the smallest of smiles- that was until he caught Thorin’s gaze still staring at him- and flustered for a moment before storming off down the hall. 

The hobbit became a sort of obsession for Thorin, for reasons not even he could pin down. There was the fact that he was an omega, that he was smaller and softer than the rest of his company and yes perhaps some part of him wanted to protect that. But more than anything, the hobbit frustrated him. 

When they had snuck out of Rivendell the following night, Bilbo had made a point to try and offer the king some words of encouragement, which of course, Thorin didn't need. 

When they had gotten trapped on the rocky cliff faces of the Moors, rain pouring down around them and the very walls crashing down over their heads- Bilbo had looked to him. The king found his way into that hazel gaze and couldn't escape, not even when the Hobbit had nearly slipped to his death. Thorin had pulled him up again and cursed him, cursed the trouble he had put them through but more importantly how absolutely frustrating it had been to nearly lose him.  
Then the hobbit had the nerve to try and desert them all. Thorin had heard every word of Bilbo’s and Bofur’s conversation that night in the cave along the cliffs. He had heard how scared Bilbo had been and how faithless the Hobbit truly was in not only this quest but in himself. At the time, Thorin had felt rage, like a dagger had been thrust into his chest- but why? It wasn't as if Bilbo was betraying him. The burglar was a burden on him and his kin, a sneaky bristle-headed little creature with a knack for getting himself in trouble. Surely, Thorin would have preferred it if he had left.  
He thought back to that night in Rivendell when Bilbo had comforted him when he first felt the flicker of fire spark to life in his chest. 

What was it? Possessiveness?  
No. He didn't care one way or another if Bilbo left or stayed.  
Then why? Why did he frustrate him so?

Unfortunately, this turned out to be a rather confusing thought. For when the ground opened up under them and the king’s company went falling down into the dark- all of Thorin’s kin went tumbling down around him and he got his wish. The burglar was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo makes a decision and Thorin nearly gets his ass killed in thanks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if screen re-writes aren't your thing! I tried my best to make them short and sweet, adding some very important differences.  
> I tried to skip right to porn guys- I really did- but no, I'm too much a fan of emotional development

Bilbo winced at the feeling of hard and craggy rock digging into his back, the buttons of his vest straining against the opposing wall face. He struggled to push himself through the small gap he now found himself lodged in, desperately trying to flee from the creature currently pursuing him. 

“Ours! It’s ours, precious!” The creature, Gollum, called out after him in the dark. The very sound of his voice causing fear to eat away at Bilbo’s mind. Hastily, the hobbit pushed and pulled and momentarily cursed his large appetite. If only he had skipped a few meals before- oh what was he thinking? Not even malicious monsters got in the way of him and his second breakfast.

“Ours!” The shrill voice of Gollum sounded closer, rounding one of the jagged corners of the cave. Bilbo could see his reflective eyes peering at him through the gloom and as the creature ran towards him- he sucked in and fell through.

Brass buttons flew from him in a flurry, smacking the creature Gollum in the face for good measure. Bilbo fell back against the stone, the wind knocking from his chest as his grip loosened and- oh no- the ring.

The pretty, peculiar object of Gollum's rage and Bilbo’s curiosity. It flew from his hand and up into the air above him. Desperately, the hobbit reached up in an attempt to catch it, the mewling and screeching from Gollum in protest almost falling away from recognition. Suddenly, Bilbo felt the cold slide of metal against his flesh and then all at once the world melted away before him. Colors and shapes shifted together, the edges of the world blurring as Gollum let out a particularly loud screech. Reflexively, Bilbo rolled to the side and pressed his back against the wall. He grabbed his weapon, holding the sword within his hands and prepared for the worst. But surprisingly, when Gollum gave chase, he hit the floor of the cave and looked around in dismay. 

The creature's eyes passed right over him, staring around the room as if Bilbo had just vanished into thin air. Not to say that Bilbo was ungrateful for the convenient turn of events, but he was surprised. 

“Thief!!” Gollum screamed, his head swinging wildly back and in forth in search of the hobbit. 

“Baggins!! Thief!” He screamed again, scampering off down the tunnel of the cave. Bilbo stared after him before gathering his nerve. No matter what the mysterious circumstances- he was getting out of here. 

He made his way slowly after Gollum, thinking that if the creature truly did think he had escaped, perhaps he would flee to the exit to check. It was hard to keep pace with the creature, the growing terror of the situation weighing more heavily on his mind. 

‘What if I never got out of here?’  
His mind screamed, sweat dripping down his brow at the thought of wandering through these tunnels forever. Never again seeing the Sun.. never again enjoying a nice slice of honey bread with jam..never again, seeing his friends. 

‘No, no. That kind of thinking won’t help!‘  
He told himself, trying his best to calm his nerves. Bilbo’s instincts were a mess, every part of him insisting he call out for help, that perhaps one of his friends would hear him. But he wouldn't, he absolutely would not risk it. Instead, he chose to focus on something else, something pleasant. Images of Fili’s golden hair came to mind, partnered with Kili’s crisp and echoing laughter. He smiled, remembering the scent of cedar trees and pine needles. He wanted more than anything to be with them again, to be near the two dwarflings who he had grown so fond of. In fact, he missed every one of his dwarfs, he even missed Bofur’s terrible jokes. 

Squeezing his eyes closed, Bilbo fought back the threat of tears. But when he closed his eyes he could see another set staring back at him. Cobalt and cold, hidden partially behind a curtain of raven hair.  
Thorin  
Bilbo’s now cloudy vision of the world almost made him nauseous, the fleeting shadows of the walls forever spinning out in front of him. The now calming yet slightly overwhelming visions of his friends almost made it too much. Still, though, it had saved his skin so far, he was not about to rid himself of the advantage. 

After a few minutes of trailing the horrid little thing, Gollum burst forth from one of the tunnels and was lit in a new light- literally. Golden light filtered through the cave and caught Bilbo's eye. He had found it, the outside, a way out! Footsteps thundered down the tunnel opposite of him and Bilbo flinched, fearing that perhaps the goblins had found him too. 

But to his relief, it was the familiar silhouette of Gandalf that came running through only to turn and usher the other members of their company through the maze of tunnels. Faintly, he caught a whiff of cedar and honeysuckle, the smell of which causing his instincts to wrack his brain. Bilbo had to stop the croon growing in the back of his throat as relief and happiness washed over him, he had found them at last, his pack.

Unfortunately, there was still one, skinny creepy-crawly problem. Gollum crept out of sight behind a rock, pressing his back against the stone to stay hidden. Bilbo knew he would have to get past him if he wanted to join his friends again. With the fleeing scents of his friends leaving him, the adrenaline fueled him to make a move he would normally never consider. 

Lining up his blade behind the creature's neck, Bilbo aimed a blow- but hesitated. True, this creature had threatened him, had chased him, and kept him from his friends. But could Bilbo bring himself to kill him?  
Gollum turned, his wide and feral gaze sweeping out across the cave floor, right through Bilbo. His eyes seemed so large, so desperate. No..Bilbo could not kill him. But one way or another, Bilbo was getting past him. 

Taking a running leap, Bilbo used Gollum’s face as a springboard for his escape, bounding off of the creature and down the tunnel towards the sweet relief of sunlight. Behind him, Bilbo could hear the screams, hear Gollum cursing him but he didn’t care. Out in front of him, he smelled his companions, he was going to find them again. 

Bilbo burst into the treeline with a newfound gratitude for the leaf litter, silently thanking the valar for such a beautiful world. Below him on the slope, he could make out the running shapes of his company, dodging swiftly through the trees and he couldn't stop a few happy tears from finally falling from his eyes. Trees rushed past him, dirt flying out from under his feet as he ran towards the comforting safety that he had known for months now. Would they be excited to see him? Had they missed him? Bilbo felt a laugh bubble up in his chest at the thought of telling them where he had been, how he got away, and how he was so happy to be out of that dark- lonely place. 

“Where is our hobbit?” Bilbo could hear Gandalf ask from down the slope. He ran forward a little more, opening his mouth to speak up until- 

“Curse the halfling!” That was Dwalin “Now he’s lost?”

What?  
‘I’m not lost ‘

“I thought he was with Dori!” He heard Gloin say.

‘No, I’m right here’

“Don't blame me!” Dori spat back, sounding very offended at the idea of having to look after him. 

‘It’s alright, I’m here!’

“Well, where did you last see him?” Gandalf pressed, leaning down in growing panic. 

‘I’m right here!’

“I think I saw him slip away when they first captured us!” Nori remarked to which Gandalf snapped back “Well what happened exactly? Tell me!” 

‘Please..’

“I’ll tell you what happened,” Bilbo froze, the sound of Thorin’s voice sending shivers through him. He was relieved to hear him again, but- with where this was going..

“Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it!” The king said, regarding the company with a cold stare. Bilbo’s eyes widened. No..No I would never-

“He has thought of nothing except his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door!” Thorin continued. Bilbo found himself retreating, pressing his back against a tree to catch his breath, and to slow his heart. He would never think of leaving..well- except that he had thought of it..

“We will not be seeing our omega again” The king’s words were ice cold, cutting deep “He is long gone.” 

The company stood in silence for a moment, most of them staring at their king in disbelief. Fili and Kili exchanged saddened glances before their eyes met their toes, kicking the needles below their boots. 

Behind his tree, Bilbo had a choice to make. With this ring and the power it gave him, he could very well exceed Thorin’s expectations and turn tail. He could make his way all the way back to the Shire unnoticed and unbothered. Soon he’d be back at home, back in bed, where nothing extraordinary ever happened and he would never have to deal with dwarfs ever again.  
He could finally leave behind this confusing and rowdy company and get back to the life he was meant to lead. A life of comfort, one suited best for a creature like himself. No more awkward conversations, no more frustrating eye contact, and most importantly- no more alphas. If you had given him this choice a few weeks ago, he would have wanted nothing more than this chance at escape. 

But… Was that what he wanted any more? 

“No..No, he isn't,” Bilbo said, opening his eyes and meeting with the familiar cobalt gaze head-on, starring it down fearlessly and quite enjoying the reaction he got in return. 

Fili and Kili smiled, Bofur let out a sigh of relief and all in all, his company seemed happy to see him.  
“Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!” Gandalf said, walking towards the hobbit with a wide smile. Bilbo sighed, offering a pat to Balin’s shoulder who stood before him, and took a stand on a rock- just to be at eye level with the rest of them. 

“Bilbo...We’d given you up!” Kili remarked, “How on earth did you get past the goblins!?” Fili joined in, staring at the hobbit with new-found awe. 

“How indeed..” Dwalin echoed, eyeing the small omega up and down. 

“Well.. what does it matter, he’s back,” Gandalf said with a gentle nod of his head. Bilbo felt a well-earned relief wash over him as his company soon closed him around him, Fili and Kili hoping up to wrap their arms around his shoulders. 

“It matters” Thorin cut in, causing everyone to stop in their momentary celebration. Bilbo nudged the dwarflings away in order to look Thorin in the eye. 

“I want to know,” The king continued “Why did you come back?” 

Bilbo knew he had to make a stand, had to prove himself to this company, and to their bull-headed leader once and for all. No more running, no more tucking his tail between his legs. Alphas, betas- he didn't care. These were his friends and he could very well see himself making a pack of them yet. He chose his words very carefully and decided it was time to commit. 

“I know you doubt me” He started “I know you always have” Bilbo’s expressions were nonchalant but his eye contact was fierce. 

“And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books, and you lot scare the daylights out of me sometimes” he shrugged, electing a few guilty glances from the company. 

“I used to think that's where I belong, the Shire. Perhaps I still do- but not right now” Bilbo continued, meeting Thorin’s gaze again “ It will always be home to me, but that's why I came back. Because you don't have a one, a home I mean” He fiddled with his vest pocket.

“It was taken from you” Bilbo smiled as he continued “ But I will help you take it back if I can” 

Thorin dropped his eyes at this, staring instead at the ground before him. Bilbo felt a tad bit guilty, knowing somewhere in the wiser parts of his head that Thorin was only cold due to a lifetime of hardship. The king wasn't too hard of a person to riddle out. He hopped off his stone and walked up to the king in question. Reaching out, the hobbit brought his hand back to rest in the same place it had that night in Rivendell. Thorin’s eyes flew up to meet him again, his whole stance tensing against the contact. 

“I may be a Bag End hobbit at heart... but right now, I feel like perhaps I’m needed here,” Bilbo said, his fingers grazing gently across Thorin’s stubbled cheek. 

Thorin noticeably relaxed, his eyes softening as the corners of them wrinkled. Bilbo felt his heart flutter at the sight, something in him extremely happy at being able to affect the alpha’s mood. It was gratifying, getting his point across. The momentary peace was nice, to have just escaped such peril only to be reunited again. But like most things on this quest, it was to be short-lived.  
Eerie cries filled the air and the company all flinched, looking around in every direction. Thorin’s hand reflexively took hold of Bilbo’s own, pulling him close. 

“Out of the frying pan..” The king cursed between his teeth, the statement quickly picked up by their resident wizard. 

“And into the fire..Run!” 

\-------------------------------

Thorin knew that he had not deserved it.  
Watching the omega stand up to him, only to forgive him in the end. He knew he had not deserved it. 

It wasn't often that Thorin Oakinsheild found himself being proven wrong either. Honestly, by this point, he should start off every conversation with the hobbit under the expectation that he would end up flat on his face. Since the day he had met the creature, Bilbo has been proving the king wrong at every turn.  
The hobbit kept throwing new things his way and kept surprising him with his actions. Thorin had thought he had the halfling all figured out- when in reality it had been the other way around. Such a revelation was frustrating yes, almost unbearably so. But at the same time.. Thorin was absolutely obsessed with it. Such fire and spirit for such a little thing, an underdog among underdogs.  
Bilbo was a riddle. Thorin had never been good at riddles. But now he desperately wanted practice. 

When the wargs descended upon them, pushing their company into the trees, Thorin had fled with a new question on his mind. It lined up with the other two quite nicely, might have even been filed under one of them but no- this one deserved its own category. 

How do I best keep Bilbo safe?

The hellish hounds had pushed them back to the very edges of the cliff, up a tree which now hung dangerously off the precipice. His family was on the brink of annihilation, their goal so far off in this distance it was barely visible, and now- Bilbo was in danger. Even with the wizard’s fire raining down around him, Thorin knew what he had to do. 

Above them, the pale orc stood his ground and laughed. His steed growling definitely against the wind as it fanned the flames which now threatened to burn them along with the forest itself. Thorin took stock of what he had to lose and deemed it well worth the risk. He would not lose. He could not.  
Standing, Thorin possessively placed himself between the ork and his pack. 

The dwarf stood his ground against the face of an enemy he had long since considered dead and bared his teeth, the hair along his arms and neck standing up on edge. He walked forward, the heat of the fire spurring him on, fueling the rage that dwelled deep inside of him.  
This monster, Arzog, would not take anything else from him. Especially that which he had only just found himself.

Amidst the burning and the yelling, Thorin knew he might not see the end of this fight. But to him, that did not matter, not now. There was only one way out of this, and it was right through that ugly ork’s pale carcass. 

The blunt impact of the warg’s paws against his chest sent him hurtling towards the ground. The breath was stolen from his lungs, Thorin fighting through the pain to try and right himself before the monster could return again. He kept his weapon and shield in hand, standing to his feet. But upon reaching them, he was sent hurtling again. Darkness crept into the corners of his vision as the ork’s mace collided with his skull.  
He fell to the ground once more, a dull ringing sounding through his ears. Thorin rolled until he could push himself up off the dirt, his eyes catching sight of his pack mates. Balin screamed, his nephews crying out for him, but he was useless to help him. Then he saw Bilbo- small, incredible Bilbo staring back at him in dismay- before Arzog’s warg crunched down on him from above. 

Thorin screamed, large teeth sinking down around his armor in an attempt to pierce his flesh. The blunt force was enough to nearly crack two of his ribs. 

The world around him fluttered between impossibly dark and far too bright, waves of pain coursing through him with every crunch of the warg’s jaws. The beast picked him up, his body limply dangling from its mouth but he was not done yet. With one last rush of strength, Thorin brought Ocrist up to slash against the warg’s jaws. The beast let out a cry in pain and sent the king flying against some nearby rocks. 

Upon impact, Thorin felt his strength finally fail him. His reality was slowly fading from him- in and out- in and out. Until most of the sky was dark and the fire around him no longer felt hot against his skin. Arzog signaled for one of his lackeys to relieve Thorin of his head, the gangly creature creeping towards him with blade in hand. Thorin blinked, furiously trying to reach for his weapon- but it was no use. Unconsciousness was taking him, tugging at the fabric of his mind.  
Perhaps, he deserved this. To die on the blade of a lesser creature, so many miles away from his home and kingdom. Thorin wasn't sure what he deserved... But it sure as hell wasn't Bilbo Baggins.

The last few things Thorin saw of the waking world was a flash of a red coat and the familiar golden curls of one, very persistent hobbit. 

\-------------------------------

Honestly, Bilbo wasn't sure where the sudden call to action had come from. He had watched Thorin- that absolute idiot- run headfirst towards his death and everything seemed to shift. Suddenly he was on his feet, running, screaming, swinging.  
His blade had sunk satisfyingly down into the belly of the orc below him and Bilbo had enjoyed it, scrambling to his feet to offer the same fate to the other beasts around him. He looked back at the face of Thorin and felt a flood of adrenaline flash through him. He had been prepared to fight, to die in order to protect this dwarf. 

At first, the orcs had stared at him surprised, obviously caught off guard by such an unlikely attacker. That quickly turned to rage when the rest of the dwarfs descended upon them and Bilbo couldn't have felt more proud than at that moment. The fight between them and the wargs was a bleak one and Bilbo was almost certain that they would lose. He had given it everything he had and had still ended up on the ground unarmed. Azog stood over him, a smirk plastered on his face as his mount clicked his teeth.  
But then the eagles came. 

Now they were well away from danger- except perhaps from the danger of falling. Bilbo’s small fingers gripped tightly onto honey brown feathers, the wind racing through his curls as he and his company flew to safety. They had been flying for about an hour it seemed, the snowy tops of the misty mountains skimming by under them like rocks in the midst of a raging river. The scenery was breath-taking but Bilbo could not appreciate it.  
Instead, his attention was stolen by one- still, incredibly idiotic- dwarf, who now hung limply from the talons of one the eagles. The hobbit wrestled on the back of his feathered mount to catch a glimpse of the king, his instincts telling him to keep him in sight at all times. Fili had called out to him, which had gone unanswered. If they landed, and Thorin had gotten himself killed, Bilbo swore that he would never forgive him. 

Thankfully, an end to their flight soon came into sight as the eagles circled a small plateau. Large, golden wings dexterously dropped Bilbo and his company off, Thorin being placed to the ground with all of the care that the great bird could manage. Upon seconds of reaching the ground, Bilbo watched as the dwarves gathered desperately around their king. He wasn't moving, and Bilbo hesitated to move any closer.  
Something in him was rooting him to the spot. 

“Thorin!” Gandalf coaxed, his voice booming over the sound of giant wings still beating around them. When no answer came, the wizard placed his hand upon the king’s face and muttered an incantation under his breath, something Bilbo couldn't understand. 

A moment passed, and to everyone’s relief, Thorin’s eyes fluttered open once again. Bilbo smiled and let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

“The halfling..” Thorin’s voice broke under the strain of breath, his chest heaving even over such a simple sentence. Bilbo stilled, peering around the heads of others. 

“It’s alright, Bilbo is here” Gandalf reassured the king as the other dwarves helped Thorin to his feet “He’s quite safe” 

At the sight of Thorin standing again, Bilbo felt the warmth returning to his limbs, the relief of knowing the dwarf had not died adding a couple more years to his life span. Fili and Kili helped their uncle right himself, grasping onto his forearms while Dwalin offered him a shoulder to lean on. Thorin struggled for a moment but soon caught his breath, staring around at the company who had fought to save his life. And then, his eyes landed on Bilbo.

“You..” He said around labored breaths “What were you doing?!” Thorin asked, his tone lingering dangerously on accusatory. 

Bilbo’s mind drew a blank for a moment.

“You nearly got yourself killed..” Thorin snapped, his words surprising even his nephews who watched on with wide eyes. Bilbo had no idea what to say, a little hurt at the idea that Thorin was mad at him over this- that he had not changed his opinion about the hobbit at all. 

“Did I not say that you would be a burden?” Thorin asked, stepping closer to the omega “That you would not survive in the wild?” 

He was a few feet in front of the hobbit now, towering over Bilbo and casting quite the imposing shadow even if he was limping and gasping for breath through every sentence. Bilbo couldn't meet his gaze. 

“That you had no place amongst us” That hurt. Bilbo’s eyes flew up to meet Thorin’s finally, distress seeping off of him in waves. So this is how Thorin really saw him, as an extra. The world grew cold, self-consciousness flooding through him as Bilbo let the words sink in. Years of teasing and ridicule from his neighbors and classmates bombarding him from every angle of his mind. Here he was again, meddling in business where he was not wanted.  
Bilbo wanted to cry, but he would not. After all... How could he have been so silly as to think- 

“I have never been wrong… in all my life” 

And then, everything became warm again. Bilbo felt strong, warm arms surrounding him as Thorin Oakinsheld embraced him. That familiar storm cloud scent rushed through his lungs and Bilbo thought that now, it was okay to cry. The king gripped his shoulders, easily surrounding the small omega in a hug.  
Bilbo still couldn't speak, couldn't find the right words. So he simply pressed forward, nuzzling through Thorin’s ebony hair until their cheeks brushed together. An electrifying shock shivered through him as Bilbo pressed his neck against the bristle of Thorin’s chin, the king instinctively returning the gesture. It had been a while since Bilbo had scented anyone he was close enough to consider a packmate, but the feeling of happiness that rewarded him made him wish he had done this so much sooner. Thorin’s grip on him tightened and Bilbo thought that yes, The worst was now behind them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know what happens in Thorin/ Bilbo fics when they finally get to Beorn's house~  
> Khuzdul translations provided in notes bellow~

After some thorough consideration, Bilbo came to the decision that it would be impossible for him to fit his foot in his mouth. But that didn't stop him from trying apparently. 

“Oh no! Oh no, no, no!” He cursed between closed teeth, his hands flying wildly through the pockets of his clothes. Not here, not there- not anywhere! His suppressants, where had his suppressants gotten to?? And why- why oh why did he always have realizations like this when he was naked!? 

“Are you alright Mr. Baggins?” Balin called from downriver, making the hobbit flinch before crowding back behind his rock.

“Ah! Ah- um, yes! Yes, I’m fine!” Bilbo responded, waving a hand out from behind the rock with an added thumbs up for good measure. Water lapped at his waist as the river parted around his little hide-away.

But he was absolutely not fine. Ever since they had descended down the Carrock, Bilbo had felt particularly antsy. At first, he had blamed it on their narrow escape, that the fluttering of his stomach was nothing more than leftover adrenaline. Then, as the company had made their way into the woods and headed east, he had grown to suspect something else. If it had been nerves it would have surely started to settle by now- but whatever this was, only grew. 

Bilbo had, at that point, thought that it might have been his pre-heat. It was an after-thought, considering that he normally didn't start feeling too floaty until a few days before the peak and it couldn't have been a week yet. But the very tingling presence of a blooming warmth down in his belly told him otherwise.  
He knew he must have stunk- that the others would start to pick up on it soon if they hadn't already. Luckily they all collectively stank like goblin blood and none of them seemed to notice Bilbo as they drew closer to the river- except... Maybe... 

“Are you alright, Bilbo?” Thorin had surprised him, coming to stand just a little bit, too close. 

“Hm? Mhm! Right as rain!” Bilbo had reacted far too quickly and enthusiastically not to be suspicious and he knew it, knowing that Thorin saw right through him as the king’s brow knitted together. Good heavens, it had been almost unbearable. Bilbo wanted to simultaneously crawl out of his skin and bury himself in the dirt, his clothes started to stick to him and- and good heavens the eye contact. Thorin was now watching him like a hawk, even through the pain of his limp, he pressed his gaze close to the hobbit’s back. 

As if a sign from the Valar, Thorin called for the company to stop and bathe in the river, finally giving Oin the chance to look over his injuries. Bilbo had mentally thanked him for that decision but honestly couldn't focus on it until he was a well enough distance away from the alpha. The other dwarfs were quick to shed their layers and jump right in, shameless as usual. Bilbo, on the other hand, had hiked a good few yards upriver before starting to strip, already feeling his head start to clear thanks to the distance between them. 

Bilbo had no previous experience with alphas, obviously. Was it their presence making him feel all funky? He had heard that alphas and omegas had an unnatural attraction to each other through Balin that evening in the baths. But Bilbo still held his suspicions. The nasty rumors about alphas which had spread about through Hobbiton still unsettled him, no matter how untrue they had proven to be thus far. And after all that had happened, Bilbo found it a little silly to focus on his biology of all things.  
They could be attacked at any moment and here he was worrying over the idea of alphas and how wonderful they smelled, how big and strong they were and how deep their dark blue eyes stared into his- his- oh for the love of-!

It was only when he was in the water, messing with his clothes, had Bilbo realized that his suppressants were gone and now he felt hope itself draining from his life. Without suppressants, he would surely go into season soon- surrounded by his new packmates who were mostly alphas. This was a Hobbiton horror story waiting to happen. But it was fine- he was fine- all he had to do was keep his distance.  
Gloin and Bombur were mated with their own kits, he had learned, and Ori and Balin were still safe to be around due to them being betas. Fili and Kili he imagined were still safe, seeing as he didn't find them attractive. Not to say they were ugly by any means, but they were still so small in his eyes, more like little siblings if anything. Nori and Dori tended to leave him alone for the most part so he wouldn't need to worry about them- which only left Bofur, Dwalin and- 

“Master Burglar?”  
Dear Yavannah- yes, that one.  
Bilbo pressed his back into the face of the cold stone as he heard Thorin’s voice from around the other side. Now, was not a good time!

“Y-yes, Thorin?” He answered him, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice. Thorin hesitated, and before Bilbo could move to try and stop him, there he was. 

The king poked his head around the rock, his dark hair falling like a curtain down around his face and bare neck, still wet from his bath and the gentle lapping of the river. From here, Bilbo could only see his shoulder and upper arm, maybe a little bit more of his waist and hip and- oh sweet Shire stop it!  
Even with the bandages that covered his torso, Bilbo could tell that Thorin was built, an observation which only proved itself the more Thorin moved into view. Instantly, Bilbo turned and looked the other direction, refusing to peek. 

“Excuse you?” He snapped, hearing the way the water shifted as Thorin stopped behind him in surprise. 

“I’m sorry, you were very quiet back here. I thought something might be wrong” Thorin explained. Bilbo shrugged, suddenly painfully aware of just how naked he was. Naked, and standing close to Thorin fucking Oakinshield.

“Nope, I’m alright. Perfectly fine!” He insisted, shaking his head and crossing his arms across his chest. Bilbo shuddered as he felt Thorin draw closer still, seemingly testing his luck. The hobbit could already feel the familiar body heat radiating off of him, the fresh and lingering stormy sky scent- and dear Yavannah, Bilbo wanted to break. He wanted to melt back against him, wanted to give in to the gentle yet demanding desires which he had never felt before. He didn't know what exactly it was about this dwarf, but it drove him absolutely wild. 

“Are you sure?” Thorin asked again and this time Bilbo wasn't sure if he could stop himself or not. 

‘Don't do it!’ He tried to scold himself. 

Thorin reached out a hand, the heavy press of his palm softly sliding against the curve of Bilbo’s shoulder. If Bilbo had thought his scent was powerful before, it was all-encompassing now. Thorin’s hands were huge, warm and rough to the touch after years of building callouses through hard work. Bilbo felt weak in the knees.

Don't you dare!

The King came forward until the front of his chest brushed gently against Bilbo’s back and when he gripped just a little tighter to the hobbit’s shoulder, Bilbo knew it was too late to hold back now. The brush of stupidly soft chest hair sent him over the edge, his body reacting completely out of his control. Instinctively, Bilbo let out a noise that he had only ever made in the comfort of his own home and one which had threatened to leave his mouth a few times before. He openly crooned. 

The gentle sound was like a song, escaping through shallowly parted lips as Bilbo let his head roll back and rest against Thorin’s chest in an open invitation. For a moment, everything felt so warm and perfect in the world- but then Thorin froze and Bilbo snapped back to the very, unfair reality of it all. 

Neither moved or said anything. Bilbo felt the color fade from his face as his soul chilled- oh no, what had he just- 

And then, everything was very wet. Water came crashing down around him as if summoned from the heavens itself, dousing Bilbo and Thorin both. Both alpha and omega flinched back in surprise and sputtered, looking around wildly for an explanation. It came to them in the form of two very mischievous voices. 

“Leave room for Mahal you two!” Fili laughed, signing his own death warrant as even Bilbo could see through his soaking curls the way that Thorin’s fists clenched. 

“Karnr!! Slalig karnr!!” Thorin roared in Khuzdul, storming after the two princes as they ran away down the river. Bilbo shook his curls free of water and watched them go, Thorin managing to keep up with his nephews even though the strain of his injuries. Bilbo made a mental note to thank Fili and Kili for that later- after he had boxed their ears for their trouble of course.

\-------------------------------

A little while after that whole mess, Gandalf had called for the company to move along. Bilbo had readied himself for the long road ahead of them, moving strategically back towards the rear of the company as they continued on. His little heart attack with Thorin in the river had done nothing to douse the flames of his gently blossoming heat, in fact he swore he had started to feel even warmer. Everyone seemed to let him linger behind, which he was thankful for beyond measure. Well- almost everyone.  
Thorin had effectively ramped up his starring Since the incident. No matter how many dwarfs he put between them, Thorin always had a glance to send his way, it was driving the hobbit insane. Was he mad? Was he about to pounce on him like some sort of animal? Bilbo cursed his inability to read the dwarf and the way his body seemed to think Thorin’s glaring was incredibly attractive. He tried his best not to think about it, to focus on anything else- but it was no use. 

As he and his company trotted on into the forest, Bilbo’s thoughts were soon consumed with images of those large, beautiful hands and how wonderful it might feel to have them grab him. He tried to focus on other things, fought hard not to fantasize about a Thorin like that- but it was useless. Fear and confusion rattled Bilbo’s mind, not at all sure why his brain was so insistent on such ideas. It wasn’t as if Thorin wanted him like that- right? No, absolutely not that was just inappropriate. 

‘Shame on you Bilbo, he’s your friend’ He scolded, fighting hard to rid himself the idea of how the brush of Thorin’s lips might feel against his own. Bilbo swallowed a lump in his throat, his eyes squeezing shut as he feared he might be turning his friends into the object of misplaced desires. But fear, as it turned out, was there to help him.

The bear had been a surprise, a terrible and horrible monster for sure, but a welcome distraction from Bilbo’s own head. Tearing their way through the woods and meadows, suddenly that distraction was working a tad too well as it pushed them all towards a dense maze of hedges. Bilbo could see the thatched roof of a house hidden behind the hedgerow but questioned why the wall of greenery was up to start with, what was it hiding, was Gandalf aware of it? But Bilbo wasn't about to question the wizard to his face and any suspicions he had about the house were soon thrown out as the massive bulk of their pursuer burst forth from the tree line.

Together, they all ran through the large wooden doors leading in past the hedges, Bilbo nearly tripping over his own feet as Bombur rushed past him in an impressive burst of speed. The company gathered at the door of the house, banging their hard heads against it to no avail. Thorin was the one to finally open the latch and send them all tumbling in, fumbling to the floor as they struggled to right themselves. Gandalf made it in behind them and they all worked together to close the door before the beast was able to breach it- almost. Bilbo flinched in surprise as the beast stuck it’s head through the gap, his huge jaws snapping over the dwarf’s heads. The hobbit drew his weapon, scared beyond measure but ready to stand his ground nonetheless. One good thing came of it though and that was that Bilbo’s heat was smothered in their flurry of fear and adrenaline. The hobbit might have been great fun to the beast, if he could get over being nearly frightened to death.

Getting settled for the evening turned out to be a very difficult thing to do, perhaps more so for Bilbo than for anyone else. The house they now found themselves in was large and cozy. The wooden architecture was clearly handmade and the animals that resided in and around the house were overly friendly. Bilo was enchanted with the gardens, he wanted to go out and explore them. But- his brain had other ideas. 

Getting cooped up in a house with the very creatures who were now driving you itching mad was, not the best. It wasn't the worst, Bilbo still cared for each one of his companions but at the same time, he wanted to be very far away from each of them- so not the best. It wasn't really as if he wanted to leave them completely, just put some distance between them and himself. Lots of distance, some walls preferably.  
The momentary relief from their brush with death was a fleeting thing, passing quickly as Bilbo’s heart stilled and his brain was given a moment to re-boot. Nature, as it seemed, would always find a way. There was still the ever present danger of his alpha pack-mates though. No matter how tempting it might have sounded to invite a certain someone along- If he was to go into season here, he would absolutely need to find a place to do so alone. Which was why the hobbit currently found himself scouting secretly around the large house. Bilbo looked in every nook and cranny, searching for a place he could curl up and sleep without feeling as though the entire company was breathing down his back. Something in his skin was screaming at him to barricade himself in a broom cupboard, or lock himself inside of a wine cellar. He wasn't sure where the sense of urgency had come from but he did know that it paired with the growing heat climbing through his bones. 

Perhaps it was his instincts letting him know how dangerous it was to go into season around alpha, a sentiment which only made Bilbo more anxious.

The others were too busy searching through their host's cupboards to notice him, Bombur taking control of the kitchen in a matter of minutes. Bilbo was secretly glad to have this excuse to opt-out of that activity, feeling as though it was awfully rude of them to do to their host whom they haven’t even met yet. Even if he was just as hungry as they were from all that running- probably more so considering his appetite- Bilbo would rather go without than to be impolite.  
Now wasn't the time for a snack though. He couldn't believe he was saying it, but right now he had higher priorities than food. 

Bilbo had been searching for a while before he had finally found the perfect spot. He had felt a little bad about setting up shop where he was, seeing as it was clearly someone else's bedroom, but right now he could care less for propriety. The bed was large, nearly as far off the ground as Bilbo was tall. He wasn't really in the mood for all that climbing so he chose instead to- oh good heavens if his gran could see him now- yank all of the covers off the mattress and stuff them under the bed frame. There, in the comfort of the smaller space, he slowly began building a nest. 

Bilbo’s usual nesting habits were much more organized. He had a nook in his bedroom especially constructed for such an activity and in fact, most hobbits did. It was built into the wall on a kind of window bed, with cushions and pillows nestled into its corners and a place to hang a curtain over the opening for extra privacy. Hobbits preferred to do everything within their own comfort, heat cycles were no exception. Bilbo’s cycles were usually calm, even at their peak, he could look forward to maintaining some level of control. But then again, Bilbo had never had a heat quite like this one.  
Even after collecting the sheets into a nice little alcove in the corner where the bed frame pressed against the wall, Bilbo still felt unsafe. He needed more material. 

He grabbed the cushions from the armchairs nearest the bedroom, not enough.  
He snatched the wool stuffed comforter from the foot of the large bed, nope, still missing something. 

But what? Missing what?

It was with great caution that the hobbit dared back out into the main room of the house. Looking around slowly, he made a headcount of every dwarf from where they sat at the dining room table. The company was currently partaking in dinner, their loud and boisterous voices carrying through the halls and giving Bilbo even more of a reason to avoid them. Luckily though, this meant they were effectively distracted. 

Free from watchful eyes, Bilbo crept down to the piles of hay where the dwarfs had set up their bedrolls for the night. He carefully lurked along the floor, using his nose to guide him as the night offered little help in his search. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he had a feeling his instincts would know it when he found it. Gently, he sifted through the bedrolls, the subtle scents of his pack mates calming his nerves more than he thought they would. He guessed in small amounts, they did their job quite well- too bad the dwarves themselves were the very definition of overwhelming. 

Bofur’s hat? Nope.

Dori’s scarf? Absolutely not. 

Bilbo let out a sigh of frustration, where was it?? And then he found it, hidden underneath a few familiar swords. The touch of soft fluff against his fingers surprised him at first but the smell that lingered along its edge was unmistakable, Thorin’s fur cloak. He quickly brought the cloak to his chest, pressing his face against it with a sigh, the flood of relief that came with it made Bilbo smile in delight. Yes, this would work. 

He wasn’t inviting Thorin to lay with him, not technically. Just- appropriating an article of clothing to aid him, what was wrong with that after all?

As quickly as he had come, Bilbo hurried back to his nest, missing the way that the cloak tugged over a mop and bucket on his way around the corner. 

When he finally scampered back under the bed and stuffed the cloak along the edge of his nest, Bilbo was already feeling so much warmer. He stilled, confused by the new rush of heat. Thorin’s cloak was meant to help, but now..everything was getting hot, very hot. 

Bilbo became suddenly aware of his clothes, painfully tugging off his coat in an effort to cool himself. He added it to the nest and curled up in the center, clutching his knees to his chest helplessly. Squeezing his eyes shut, Bilbo waited for the eventual tsunami that was to come. With any luck, he would peak sometime in the night and be done by late morning. That didn't account for the chance that he might be found of course, but the hobbit lacked any ability of foresight at the moment. All he could do was hang on and wait it out. 

\-------------------------------

It had been about two hours, Bilbo guessed by the amount of sweat sticking his clothes to his body. Slick had begun to seep through the fabric of his breeches around 15 minutes in, the scent of himself clogging his nose as he absentmindedly reached a hand down to grind against. It had been torturous, the burning cloud settling over his spine now creeping up his neck and into his very skull. All the while, a very persistent pair of blue eyes had haunted him, spurred into action as Bilbo buried his nose into the king’s cloak and moaned. Bilbo couldn’t bare it, of course he had thought of Thorin. He had done a pretty good job of blocking out the surrounding world for that period of time, but now something demanded his attention. 

“Master Baggins?” A voice called out from the entrance of the room. Balin, Bilbo recognized. Why was it always Balin? His skin started to crawl, a deep territorial itch clawing at his back. Bilbo wanted to yell at him, wanted to tell him to go away, but he couldn't find the words. What came out of his mouth instead was a broken whine- which only aided in darkening his blush. 

Bilbo heard muffled voices from outside, murmurs of words although he couldn't make any of them out. Shadows crossed the light in the hall and then suddenly there was someone else in the doorway. 

“Burglar?” Thorin’s voice was a stark contrast to the previous silence of the room. 

‘Oh god! Not him!’

Bilbo didn't answer him, burying his face into the fur of his cloak instead. Thorin hesitated, Bilbo couldn't see him but he could tell he was having a tough time deciding what to do. After a moment, careful footsteps made their way inside, slowly approaching the edge of the bed.

“Burg- Bilbo...Bilbo, where are you?” Thorin asked out loud again, his feet shifting as if he was looking around the room. Bilbo didn't want to answer him and in the end, he didn't have to, Thorin soon ducked down to his level and peered under the bed.

Almost immediately, the king recoiled, standing back up and taking a step away from the bedside. He took deep breaths as if he had just been hit in the face with a wet blanket.

“B..Bilbo...Are you alright?” Thorin’s voice was deep with a new and gravelly tone to it that Bilbo had never heard before. He didn't answer, he couldn't face the king like this. It was bad enough that he had embarrassed himself at the river after just having proved to be useful- now here he was, a sweating, mewling mess. The ever present warning light flashed in the back of his brain, warning him to stay away. This alpha was a threat, no matter how handsome he was.

“Bilbo, answer me” Thorin commanded, which sent a shiver down Bilbo’s spine. 

“I’m... Here..” He reflexively uncurled and whined in response. The king took a hesitant step back towards the bed at the sound of his voice.

“You...What is happening?” Thorin asked. Bilbo rolled his eyes, was this dwarf really that clueless?

“Heat.,” Bilbo answered simply. Thorin didn't have anything to say to that and Bilbo wondered if he even knew what it had meant. 

“Can you come out?” The king’s voice softened again but Bilbo whined in response, curling back up in a ball. 

“No..Y- you can’t see me like this!” Bilbo cried. Thorin stooped back down to the floor, taking a moment to gather himself before he looked into the mess of sheets and covers in the corner. 

“See you like what? Bilbo?” He asked again. Bilbo could tell his question was genuine, but he could also hear the way Thorin was breathing through his mouth. Memories of what the hobbit elders had warned him of flashed through Bilbo’s brain. Alphas took what they wanted, angry and feral- they-they...The hobbit shook his head and groaned. 

“I..You- You make me feel weird” Bilbo muttered. 

“I do?” Thorin asked, a broken tone to his voice ‘Why’s that?”

“You just... Your voice and the way you... Smell...” Bilbo answered, finding it easier to simply spill his secrets now than focus on how hard it was to stay away from Thorin- how hard it had always been to stay away from him. The alpha smelled different. Not bad, certainly not, but different. It was swimming through Bilbo’s head and clueing up into his chest, intoxicating. 

“You make me feel weird too,” Thorin admitted, which caught Bilbo off guard. 

“I've been feeling it for a while… even before- well..well I...” The dwarf trailed off, getting a little flustered over his own words. Bilbo chanced looking up from his ball to meet Thorin’s gaze. The hobbit could barely see him through the gloom but his scent was all the reassurance that he needed. 

“You make me feel... Well, you make everyone feel happy..” Thorin continued, noticing the change in Bilbo’s attitude the more he kept talking “But I- I have recently felt selfish” 

Bilbo’s ears perked up towards the king. It wasn't like him to talk about his feelings the way that he was.  
“Recently...I have wanted..well I have wanted to..” Thorin maintained eye contact, leaning farther under the bed as Bilbo started to crawl closer to him. 

“Thorin.,” Bilbo whispered, entranced by the way Thorin’s pupils dilated in the subtle hints of moonlight. 

“Bilbo..you smell so good..” Thorin’s voice broke as he reached a hand out to him, tentatively testing his luck. Bilbo fought temptation for a moment but was too far gone by this point to put up much of a fight. Bilbo knew Thorin, knew what he was capable of and knew by now that Thorin Oakinshield was more than just his biology. If alphas took what they wanted, then perhaps Thorin would take him, if he asked.

The hobbit pressed his cheek into Thorin’s hand, crooning happily as it slid down the side of his neck and back up to cup his face again. The king responded with a noise of his own, a deep rumbling in the back of his throat that had Bilbo’s toes curling. 

“Bilbo...Do you want me?” Thorin asked, catching the hobbit off guard for a moment. Speech was leaving him as he nuzzled into Thorin’s hand, his eyes fluttering when the dwarf’s rough fingers traced the shell of his pointed ear. 

“I..Thorin.,” Bilbo responded, pressing farther past Thorin’s hand in an effort to seek more contact- but he flinched back when Thorin pulled his hand away. 

“Bilbo. I- I want you... Do you want me? You have to tell me..” He said, the struggle of maintaining control evident through his voice “ I will not take what is not given to me by choice..” 

Bilbo just about cried right then and there. Frustration and conflict gathered in his throat, he wasn't sure at all what he wanted- he knew what he needed, and it was sitting right in front of him.  
Did Bilbo want Thorin? He wasn't sure what that meant- how could he possibly answer it? Did he want Thorin to look his way and smile? Did he want Thorin to stand by him and protect him from the dangers of the world? Did he want Thorin to want him back?  
Is that what he meant? Because if so...

“Yes..” Bilbo answered, reaching out for the alpha “Thorin, yes, I want you” 

Thorin's hand gripped hold of Bilbo’s harder than he had expected, but Bilbo couldn't bring himself to care. The dwarf pulled him out from under the bed and into his arms, holding him close as his face buried into the crook of the omega’s neck. Suddenly, Bilbo was surrounded by a familiar warmth and even though he was out of the protection of his nest, he had never felt more safe. Thorin’s cloak could never compare to the real thing, not when the dwarf was wrapping his arms around Bilbo and purring into his hair.  
Thorin was thorough when he scented the omega this time, rubbing the line of his jaw along Bilbo’s own and sliding their necks together until the scent that surrounded them both was a perfect mix of each other’s unique undertones. Bilbo whined, his legs falling to either side of Thorin’s lap as the dwarf worked, the hobbit’s hands digging into the fabric of Thorin’s tunic. Bilbo’s eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head as Thorin’s mouth parted and gave way to an eager tongue and matching teeth. 

“Th...Thorin,” Bilbo gasped, the dwarf’s hands gripping him obsessively, “Thorin..please!” 

The alpha pulled back but was surprised when Bilbo’s hands flew to either side of his face, pulling his mouth down until their lips met.  
Bilbo almost saw stars, a flush blanketing his cheeks and even the tips of his ears as yes- valar, yes he wanted this. 

Bilbo’s mouth was already partially open, his arms sliding around Thorin’s neck to hold him close. The alpha groaned, holding onto the omega’s hips as their mouths slid effortlessly against each other.

“Bi...Bilbo” Thorin managed between breaks for air “B-Bed..”

Bilbo didn't respond, he wasn't sure he could even if he wanted to. Thorin’s mouth tasted wonderful, like sunshine and apple cider and the most heavenly things on earth. He was warm and safe and Bilbo never wanted to leave his lap. He hardly felt it when Thorin picked him up, his legs wrapping around the dwarf’s waist as he stood. Thorin laughed low in his chest at that, his hands enthusiastically cupping Bilbo’s arse through his breeches. 

When the dwarf finally had him laid back against the mattress, Bilbo whined at the lack of contact, his arms reaching up and grabbing at empty space. 

“Thorin!” The omega mewled, struggling to sit up. 

“Sorry, sorry, I’m here” Thorin returned to him with a smile, tossing up a collection of blankets out from under the bed. Bilbo forgave him as the king crawled back over him, knowing he would be thankful for the reassuring scent of the nest around him. 

Thorin pressed a knee into the space between Bilbo’s thighs, smiling as the omega crooned in response. Bilbo was then painfully reminded of how soaked he was, his face blushing furiously at the feeling of the fabric of his breeches sliding against his slit. Thorin moaned, his head falling forward as his hands came to grip the sheets on either side of Bilbo’s head. 

“Mahal...Bilbo...You smell wonderful” Thorin grumbled, his eyes dragging down the expanse of Bilbo's form. The hobbit squirmed under his gaze, his hips grinding absentmindedly against Thorin’s knee. The king then decided that the omega was far too clothed for his own good.

Bibo’s vest was easy to do away with seeing as most of the buttons were missing, his dress shirt was another matter though as Thorin’s large hands struggled with the buttons. Breaking through the haze of it all for a moment of laughter, Bilbo swatted his hands away and worked the buttons open himself. Thorin simply flushed and tugged his own shirt off over the top of his head.  
When both of their eyes met again, they stilled, suddenly entranced by the newly exposed skin. Thorin leaned back down over Bilbo with a sense of reverence, one large hand tracing down the hobbit’s chest and past his navel. Bilbo was soft, in every sense of the word. On the other hand, Bilbo’s palms cascaded over Thorin’s built chest and sides. The healthy layer of hair that trailed ever so teasingly down was softer than Bilbo had thought it would be and he whined as his hands gripped the alpha’s shoulders. 

“So..So lovely...” Thorin mumbled, his hands gripping and squeezing where they wished. Bilbo whined, his feet kicking out over the edge of the bed in desperation. 

“You are so lovely...Bilbo” The king whispered, the low octave of his voice doing absolutely magical things to the omega’s head. Bilbo wanted to surrender, he wanted to spread out and offer everything to the dwarf above him. His brain felt dizzy under the idea, not even sure completely sure what it was asking for. 

“Th...Thorin...Please..” Bilbo mewled, nipping along the nape of the alpha’s neck as the king continued exploring his body. Thorin was too busy sucking large marks into the expanse of Bilbo’s collar and shoulders to hear him and something more desperate clicked inside of Bilbo’s mind. 

“Alpha!” The hobbit gasped, surprising even himself with his volume. Thorin stopped, a shiver running up his neck as he pulled back ever so slightly and stared at the omega below him.

“P..Please~” Bilbo begged again and this time Thorin listened. 

The king wasted little time in wandering when he finally rid the hobbit of his trousers, chucking the mustard-colored breeches off the bed. Bilbo recoiled instinctively at the rush of cold air now lapping at his skin but Thorin’s hands held him in place. His small clothes were now all that stood between him and his prize and Thorin’s eyes now betrayed a more sinister side of him. 

In the light, Bilbo was able to finally look up into Thorin’s gaze and as the alpha’s hands cascaded over his form, Bilbo found himself lost. Thorin looked absolutely wild, the lines of his face were rough and angular leading towards his impossibly dark eyes. A snarl constantly threatened to tear at his lips and his teeth gleamed under the subtle light coming from the doorway. Bilbo would have been scared out of his mind if the sight of the dwarf wasn't turning him on so much. 

When his small clothes were finally gone, Thorin pressed his face into the inner plush of Bilbo’s thigh, his nose and cheek tracing up and down the omega’s leg. Thorin rumbled into his skin, his hands reaching up to grab at Bilbo’s hips and pull him forward. Bilbo winced a little into the rough drag of Thorin’s beard against his skin but melted when a warm tongue met with wet flesh. 

Bilbo had never really given his anatomy much thought. Sure he pleasured himself on occasion, becoming very familiar with it through his heats but he never - experimented. The omega had never had a partner with whom had gotten far enough to take up the challenge, and Bilbo was what some people referred to as “vanilla”. So when Thorin Oakinsheild’s tongue swiped against his folds, Bilbo just about lost it right then and there. 

“A-!! Alpha~!!” He cried, his back arching off the bed as his hands flew to either side of Thorin’s head. The alpha in question growled in appreciation, quicking his work. The king lapped hungrily at Bilbo's entrance, his eyes rolling into the back of his head with every new wave of slick rushing to meet his mouth.  
Bilbo had never in his life felt anything as wonderful as this, and apparently he was keen on letting Thorin know that. 

“Th...THOrin~ Oh sweet Shire! Th-oh~ OH, Thorin~!” Bilbo babbled, words falling from his lips in an endless stream of praise. Thorin’s mouth was talented, giving the impression that perhaps he had done this before but- oh~ Oh! Oh goodness, right there-

“Thorin! Don't- Oh~ Oh Thorin, don’t stop~!” Bilbo moaned, his fingers digging into Thorin’s hair in fear he might pull away. Thankfully he didn't and just a few more flicks of that clever tongue soon had the omega cuming and cuming hard. Bilbo’s whole body tensed from the force behind his release, slick escaping past Thorin’s mouth and down the curve of his ass onto the sheets. The king eagerly guided Bilbo through it, lapping at the strands of slick now coating his chin. 

“Svaek broath...” Thorin growled, replacing his mouth with fingers as soon as he pulled away, Bilbo had not understood him, but flushed anyway, the feeling of rough and calloused fingertips stealing his very breath. 

“I am going to take you..” Thorin said, leaning over the Hobbit as he kicked off his boots, his fingers gently sliding over Bilbo’s clit to keep him distracted. All Bilbo could do was whine and croon in response, almost all sense leaving him after his orgasm. The omega’s eyes fluttered open and closed as he felt a momentary release from his heat- but it didn't last. 

“And make you mine” Thorin’s words were like a vice, coiling around Bilbo and holding him to the bed. The alpha pressed his face into Bilbo’s neck as he worked his breeches off, ghosting his teeth over the omega’s scent gland in a silent promise. Bilbo almost came again just from the thought.  
The curtain of Thorin’s hair around him shut out the world, leaving only the two of them in the center of it all. Bilbo helplessly licked into Thorin's open mouth, moaning and making all manner of embarrassing sounds in a cry for more. He thought he actually might cry when Thorin pulled back. Kneeling in the space between his thighs and smirking down at the omega before him.

“Beautiful...” Thorin said, to which Bilbo almost regretted following his gaze. Bilbo was a sticky and flushed red mess but something else only made matters worse. Thorin was now free of his breeches and- oh dear yavanna- Thorin was large. Well- truthfully speaking his girth matched that of the rest of him, which for all intents and purposes meat, large. Bilbo had seen dicks before, he wasn’t a fauntling anymore of course, but Thorin had everyone in Hobbiton beat. Leaning slightly to the right, Thorin’s length was red and hard, twitching slightly under Bilbo’s blissful gaze. The fence forest of hair which surrounded it seemed to contrast it beautifully, Thorin’s happy trail blending out into the gentle swell of his stomach. It was truly a sight to behold but what caught Bilbo’s eye in particular, were the two curious metal balls which gleamed in the moonlight just under the head. 

Unfortunately, Bilbo wasn't given much time to admire the alpha before Thorin’s hands effortlessly flipped the omega onto his stomach. Bilbo’s face pressed into the sheets as he tried to right himself but was stopped by an impossibly warm chest pressing him down from behind. He shuddered, Thorin’s mouth coming to kiss along the curve of his neck and shoulders. Instead of scurrying away, Bilbo felt his body react quite differently. His knees pressed into the bed, pushing his arse up into the air while his chest laid flat against the sheets. He raised his arms over his head, his hands gripping the comforter between his shaking fingers, spreading his legs apart in a first-class, grade A, omega presentation. Thorin was short for breath- but only for a moment.

“Ejal broath..” Thorin hissed, his hands gripping Bilbo’s hips as he loomed over the omega’s smaller form. Bilbo whined, wishing with all his worth that he could speak Khuzdul. As if answering his silent wish, Thorin chuckled. 

“Very good,” He said, making Bilbo shudder under him “So good, such a good omega”

Bilbo whimpered, feeling the strong drag of Thorin’s length between his thighs and against his lower stomach. He had no idea if he was going to be able to take that, having only his fingers to practice on before now- but damn, he wanted to try. Thorin growled into his neck as he lined himself up with Bilbo’s entrance, nuzzling into the hobbit’s curls for reassurance. Bilbo appreciated the gesture but at this point, was itching for whatever sword Thorin had between his thighs to be sheathed inside of him already. 

When finally, Thorin started to guide himself forwards, Bilbo thought he might have died and gone to heaven. The shameless amount of slick and saliva made the eager push of Thorin’s cock a smooth one, with little resistance besides the amazing pressure of Bilbo’s tight heat. The omega full-on sobbed, bringing a hand down to cram into his mouth in an effort to silence himself. Thorin quickly pulled the hobbit’s head back up and off the sheets in response. 

“No, no...I want to hear you~” he groaned, gasping heavily as he continued to bottom out inside of the omega. Bilbo whimpered in his hold, his legs spreading impossibly wider to try and accommodate. Tears threatened the edges of his eyes but Bilbo couldn't decide whether they were of pain or pleasure, his senses going wild over every little touch.

“Shhh, I’ve got you,” Thorin whispered, kissing along the shell of Bilbo’s ear while a free hand smoothed over his stomach “You're doing..ah~ So good~ shhhh,” until finally he was completely sheathed.

After a few seconds of accommodation, Bilbo felt the heat in his belly start to grow again with a newfound urgency. He experimentally pushed back against the alpha, earning a hiss from Thorin in return and a wave of pleasure for himself. He could feel Thorin twitch deep inside of him and it was immediately addictive. 

“Th...Thorin...Move, please,” He begged. The king did not need to be asked twice. 

Slow and steady thrusts started to rock Bilbo back and forth. Thorin found purchase against his hips and leaned back, taking in the sight of the omega from a new angle. Bilbo let his eyes roll back into his skull as the rhythm started to ease him into a trance. 

“Bilbo..tho kloka ejal broath..” Thorin said above him but Bilbo couldn't hear him. The omega was completely lost as the dwarf picked up the pace, Bilbo letting his mouth fall open in a never-ending mix of almost words. 

“Th...Orin..I-Ah~ Oh..oh! Oh- Th...Thorin~” He sobbed, whimpering when the alpha took an eager handful of his hair and pulled him back against his cock. 

“Jeg'm gana ilv inseg tho kjol~” Thorin promised, his hips snapping even faster forward into the wonderful feeling of Bilbo around him. Bilbo had no idea what he was saying and did not give a damn, nodding in agreement and whimpering with every thrust. Something else was slowly starting to press into Bilbo’s whole, his pussy catching along the curve of something swelling at Thorin’s base. The omega couldn't tell what it was, but whenever it almost pressed into him, Thorin would growl in pleasure. 

“Please~!” Bilbo begged, drool leaking from his lips and connecting his mouth to the sheets as he craned back “Please Thorin!” 

He wasn't sure what he was begging for, but if it was more of what Thorin was already giving him then he wanted all of it. The king nearly roared as the swell of his knot finally caught, and popped inside of Bilbo’s awaiting heat. 

Bilbo sobbed, his second orgasm of the night overtaking him in the loudest crash of pleasure he had ever experienced. His shoulders shook as he was filled beyond measure, Thorin coming forward to cage his body down into the sheets. Their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces, Thorin’s hips grinding through his release. Wave after wave of warmth filled Bilbo’s belly until he was sure he was about to burst, another orgasm climbing to greet him at the feeling of being so utterly full.  
He could feel Thorin above him, his teeth hovering dangerously over the nape of his neck, and somewhere inside of him, Bilbo wished he would. But nothing ever came of it, Thorin didn't bite him.

Instead, the alpha took hold of the omega’s waist and rolled them onto their sides. Still joined through Thorin’s knot, Bilbo whined at the tug of his insides but also moaned at how subtly good it felt. He ground back against the alpha who playfully nipped at his ear, one of Thorin’s hands reaching down to circle Bilbo’s clit. 

“So beautiful, my Bilbo.. mine..” Thorin whispered against him, his breath heaving from their previous activities. Bilbo couldn't hear him and instead rode out another peak against his fingers, letting the passing wave of pleasure steadily sweep him into a well-deserved rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOO long chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed that, one of my best smut scenes to date I have to say!  
> In order-  
> "Karnr!! Slalig karnr!!"- Children!! Bad children!!
> 
> “Svaek broath..~”- Tastes delicious
> 
> “Vva vlitagana..”- So beautiful 
> 
> “Ejal broath..”- Very good
> 
> “Bilbo..tho kloka ejal broath..”- Bilbo... you look so good..
> 
> “Jeg'm gana ilv inseg tho kjol~”- I am going to make you mine
> 
> “Zva broath, mot enth~”- So good, my one


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin and Bilbo have a heart to heart
> 
> REMINDER- After this, I have some short things planned but no major scenes written so if you would like to see any more of this please let me know! This has proven to be quite popular so I will most likely be continuing it

“I don't know why you've gotten yourself into such a bind about it Thorin,” Balin said as the overly large knife he had a hold of easily cut through his steak “It’s alright if you like him” 

Thorin felt his heart squeeze at the thought, gripping the handle on his mug just a little bit tighter before glaring towards his advisor. Balin chuckled and shook his head from side to side. Thorin silently regretted opening up to the old dwarf about it, thinking perhaps that he should have simply kept it to himself now. 

“I do not like him,” Thorin lied around a swig of ale. Around him, the company all exchanged mixed looks. 

“Lad, yes ya’ do,” Balin said, this time a little anger seeping into his words. Thorin lowered his mug and knitted his brow. 

“Do not” He snapped. 

“Yes ya’ do and we know it!” Balin insisted, dropping his knife and turning in his seat to face the stubborn king. 

“You obviously know nothing!” Thorin said back, slamming his mug on the table “What in the realm has given you that impression?” 

“Well there was that time he saved yer life,” Bofur said, idly fiddling with a comically large spoon. 

“Or that time we caught the two of ya in the river” Fili snickered, joined in by his brother “Just two friends, relaxing naked in the water- not even a foot apart, not romantic at all” 

“Not ta’ mention all the dreamy eye contact ya’ send the halfling’s way whenever the mood hits ya’” Nori offered up, leaning back against the table as he cleaned the underside of his nails with a knife. 

Thorin’s body went rigid, his grip on the wooden mug so tight he thought for sure it might have splintered under his hand. He glanced over to Dwalin, who was seated next to him, in hopes of getting him on his side. But all he received was a gentle nod. 

“We know you Thorin,” Balin said, placing a hand on Thorin’s forearm “No reason to hide it. Besides, he’s a fair little thing, I’m proud of ya’” The older dwarf chuckled and murmurs of agreement surfaced around the table. 

“I can definitely see the appeal,” Nori said, kicking his boots up on the table “Omegas are few and far between, no doubt about why yer look’n to snatch this one up” 

This struck Thorin the wrong way.

“It’s not just because he’s an omega!” He growled, standing to his feet and baring his fangs towards the younger alpha. Nori flinched a little but the rest of the table all regarded him with warm smiles. Thorin paled, realizing that he had just confessed. 

“Aye, so ya’ think you’ve found yer one?” Balin hummed sweetly, patting the king on the shoulder. Thorin blinked, a gentle flush covering his face at the thought. 

“I..Im not sure” He grumbled, sitting back down and crossing his arms over his chest “He just..There's something about him that..” 

“Make’s ya’ happier than a hog in a bog?” Bombur asked, making Thorin hesitate a little.

It was true, Bilbo often took up the majority of Thorin’s thoughts in recent days. The alpha would catch himself staring at the omega quite often, his eyes wandering over every inch of the hobbit. Not necessarily in a seductive manner, but more so to make sure that Bilbo was never hurt or uncomfortable. For some reason, Thorin considered Bilbo’s comfort. He wanted..well- he wanted to keep Bilbo happy or at least in good spirits. 

He had felt that way even before the warg attack on the mountainside and before Bilbo had returned to them from the goblin caves. Ever since that day in Rivendell when the omega had turned and looked up at him with such, kind eyes. Thorin had wanted to return that kindness. He had wanted to treat Bilbo to a world of beauty, to share with him the wonders of their quest and eventual destination.  
Bilbo was a very different kind of person than what Thorin was used to. He was soft, with an attention to detail that Thorin still couldn't understand. The hobbit had the incredible gift of being able to put himself in other people's shoes. Thorin admired that, and it reminded him of the only other omega he had ever known, his mother

When the hobbit had thrown himself into harm's way for Thorin, it had sealed his fate. The king valued loyalty beyond all else and that night, Bilbo had proven himself more than worthy to stand with them. He had proven that he was willing to fight with them. The thought of that, having Bilbo on his side, made Thorin confident.  
It made him..yeah- Happier than a hog in a bog.

“Yes..” He breathed, not even noticing the way his voice broke a little. 

The company all stared at him with wide eyes, seemingly lost in the crack of Thorin’s emotional shell. Fili and Kili’s faces turned up in blinding bright smiles and Dwalin leaned back in his chair with a chuckle. 

“Why not tell him then?” Balin asked. 

Thorin suddenly felt his resolve break, self consciously turning in on himself and casting a guilty look towards the floor. 

“It’s not that simple..” He muttered. 

“I beg to differ! Why when me and my one first met I knew it from the start!” Gloin spoke up, slamming a fist on the table “I drew my axe and carved her name across every pine in the Iron hills!” 

Oin rolled his eyes off the side, knowing very well that his brother was exaggerating for effect. But not wanting to ruin his point, Oin simply kept his mouth shut and nodded in agreement. 

“No- I mean..” Thorin dragged a hand over his face in aggravation “I've wanted to..but..” 

“He’s been acting a little strange lately hasn't he?” Bofur asked, putting down his spoon and glancing in the king’s direction. Thorin gestured a hand towards the dwarf and nodded.

“Yes, exactly. Bilbo has been..avoiding me” He said, trailing off out of embarrassment. It was true, he had noticed it shortly after their descent from Carrok. At first, Bilbo seemed content to simply keep his distance but the unusual behavior had led Thorin to overstep his boundaries. Memories of far too flushed skin paired with a lingering, lovely scent- and the rush of cold water- gave him a headache. The hobbit was usually a rather antsy individual, but there had been a new sense of unease lingering in his eyes that made Thorin worried. Their little ‘close contact’ incident in the river had only made the air between them thicker.  
The worst about it was that Thorin’s presence around him only seemed to make it worse. 

“Now that ya’ mention it, he has been a bit... Absent-minded as of late” Dori commented, placing a hand on his chin as the others murmured their agreement. 

“Oh, what do you know Dori, ya’ never even speak to the lad!” Nori snapped, causing his brother to smack him upside the shoulder. 

“What do you mean by ‘avoiding’ Thorin?” Balin asked, looking at Thorin with a stern gaze. 

“He seems upset by my presence like I’m bothering him without meaning to..” Thorin regrettably answered before noticing the older dwarf’s serious expression “Balin, why do you ask? Do you know anything?” 

“Aye, remember what I told yah in Rivendell?” Balin nodded and swept his gaze across the entirety of the table “Our omega is going into season” 

Kili and Fili both immediately started snickering, Dori covering Ori’s ears out of embarrassment.  
Thorin’s eyes widened as images of what exactly was happening to Bilbo started fluttering through his mind. He had never been around another omega besides his mother, let alone an omega with regular heat cycles. He had definitely heard stories about them though, the fantasies of omega’s hitting heats being poured into young alpha’s brains from a young age. Rumors of how sweetly they smelled, how lovely they looked as they- ah, so that explained the river. 

Thorin fought back a blush. 

“He’ll be nesting soon and you all better keep well enough away from him once he starts. They don't like to be disturbed, except of course, by their mates,” Balin started to lecture, waving a finger in the faces of his companions.  
“Easy enough, what with him already being gone and all,” Bofur remarked, looking around the room from his seat. The others all joined in their search, suddenly very aware that they were now lacking a member. 

“Thorin, I think-” Balin started when suddenly there was a racket in the hall. The dwarves turned in surprise to see a mop and bucket falling to the floor in the doorway, seemingly displaced by a ghost, for there was no one there. 

“I think you should go check if he’s alright” Balin finished, clasping Thorin around the shoulder before standing to his feet. Thorin stared after him, a sudden fear clasping him by the ankles. 

“B..Balin. I thought you said he wouldn't want to be disturbed?” he stammered, until Fili shoved him from behind, pushing him towards Balin who was waiting. 

“Go get 'em, your majesty!” Bofur cheered

“Send our regards to dear Bilbo!” Kili called after him.

\------------------------------

The first thing Thorin noticed when he woke up, was that he was naked. That realization was swiftly followed by one which pointed out how cold he was- a point no doubt related to the first.  
With a groan, the king sat up amongst the gathered sheets and wrinkled clothes that lay around him. His hair was sticking to his face and forehead, the dried sweat of last night’s activities lingering along his skin. His dark blue eyes looked around the room, at first not recognizing where he was at all until he started to remember what had happened. 

A great warmth poured over him then as memories of Bilbo spread out below him, taking everything that Thorin had to give him, flooded through his mind. Thorin smiled, an immense feeling of pride and satisfaction blanketing his body. He lazily stretched, looking over to the area of the bed he had left the hobbit before curling up for sleep- and was then very alarmed to find him gone. 

Thorin swiped a hand through his hair as if it had been concealing the hobbit from view, only to discover that no- Bilbo really was gone. He looked up, searching around the room for any sign of the omega or where he might have gotten off too, but he found nothing. The room itself was so thickly doused in both of their scents that it was hard to differentiate, there was no clear scent trail to follow. He even glanced under the bed- not even a whiff. Fear struck Thorin, had the hobbit left him in the night? Was Thorin really that terrible in bed?

The dwarf was quick to jump to his feet, pulling on his shirt and breeches in a frenzy of excitement. The drop-down from the bed was a little higher than he was expecting but he didn't have time to waste. Without another thought, Thorin ran from the bedroom and out into the hall, stopping himself for a moment with a deep breath. He needed to act natural, there was absolutely no reason for his company to be alerted to last night’s activities after all- it was none of their business. 

Combing a hand through his hair, Thorin made his way out of the hall and into the main room of the house, taking notice of how his company was already starting in their usual morning routine. It was barely dawn, the sun only just starting to rise over the misty mountains, and Thorin was silently surprised that he had woken up at such a reasonable hour. His body was so relaxed he probably could have slept for a few more centuries. 

“Good morning your majesty” Bofur sang sweetly off to his side, startling Thorin out of his thoughts. He went to answer but stopped- Bofur sounded suspicious. The toymaker never referred to him with any amount of grandeur. 

“Morning” Thorin responded, eyeing the dwarf who then smirked around the tip of his flute. 

“Rest well last night yer highness?” It was Nori this time who spoke up, offering Thorin a bow before continuing to mess with his bedroll.

“Indeed” Thorin replied, one brow raising at how uncharacteristically well mannered his company seemed this morning. Dori offered him a smirk, Gloin presented him with a wink and Dwalin couldn't look him in the eye.

He had half a mind to confront them all about it, seeing as when he turned to do so, Kili and Fili were already engaged in a laughing fit. But unfortunately, he never got the chance. 

“Hurry up, the lot of you!” Gandalf snapped, standing by the back door, wearing an anxious expression “Now it not the time for silliness, we must meet our host” 

Thorin starred after him and fought the instinct to turn and continue on with his investigation, but if even Gandalf seemed worried about this ‘Beorn’ then perhaps he really was a force to be reckoned with. He snorted, glaring at his company before walking over to his things and starting to get dressed. His instincts were screaming at him to find Bilbo, he was so wound up he couldn't even smell the omega underneath all of his own anxiety. 

“Calm down there lad, Bilbo’s alright,” Balin said next to him, moving over to help the king gather his belongings. 

“Have you seen him this morning?” Thorin whispered, suddenly very interested. 

“Aye, he-” Balin started to say but was cut off by their every persistent wizard. 

“Come now, quickly now!” Gandalf motioned for all of the dwarfs to gather at the door, Thorin finding himself swept up in all the hurry. From the outside, the company could hear the thundering snap of an axe being driven through chopped wood. 

“Come along now, we can not pass through the wilderland without Beorn’s help” Gandalf insisted, herding all of the dwarrrows over into the covered porch “We’ll be hunted down before we ever get to the forest” 

Thorin’s brow knitted together at the thought of their quest meeting an untimely end, he would not allow that to happen. Even if he had to sweet talk his way through a conversation between himself and a bear-man. 

“Now..This will require some delicate handling” The wizard spoke softly, walking through the dwarves and over to the entrance of the porch “We must tread very carefully, the last person to have startled him… was torn to shreds” 

The dwarves all exchanged worried glances at that, looking amongst themselves. Thorin felt anxiety creep up on him again. This was all looking as though it was headed south, Thorin felt a very strong urge to get all of his family out of harm's way. He quickly took stock of his company.

Fili and Kili were present, fiddling with each other’s tunics in the corner. Gloin and Oin stood with each other next to Nori and Dori who were re-braiding Ori’s hair. Bifur and Bomber were sharing a slice of toast no doubt snatched from the breakfast table and Bofur was currently attached to the window like a spider. Balin and Dwalin stood next to him so- where was Bilbo?

“I will go first- oh, and Bilbo?” Gandalf said, turning back to the company and catching Thorin’s attention “Bilbo? Where are you, my boy?” 

“Here I am!” Thorin swore he had almost broken his neck with how quickly he turned, nearly flinching out of his skin as the hobbit pushed past him. The alpha starred, Bilbo regarding him without even a glance as the hobbit waddled up to join the wizard at the door. 

“There you are. Right, you’ll come with me” Gandalf said with a smile, to which Bilbo returned with his own. Thorin was absolutely speechless. 

“Now the rest of you, you just wait here and don't come out, until I give the signal” 

Thorin had done his best to remain calm through their introductions with the skin-changer. He had waited his turn to show himself just like all the others, and had been taken by quite the surprise when Beorn showed an apparent familiarity with Bilbo. The beast smiled down at the hobbit and ruffled his curls with one large hand, earning a smile from Bilbo in return. None of the others seemed to have expected it either and as they turned to follow the large man inside, Balin’s hand clasped the king on the shoulder. 

“That’s where he’s been. Saw the two of them together around early dawn” The older dwarf explained, gently pushing Thorin towards where the hobbit was lingering at the foot of the stairs “Be gentle with him won’t ya’?”

Thorin didn't really know what that meant but didn't waste time in asking. He took a deep breath and walked forward, gliding down the stairs until he stood in front of the omega. Bilbo, who had been distracted by one of the large honey bees buzzing about, flinched back when he noticed the alpha before him. The two of them stared at each other, not saying a word, before Bilbo attempted an escape. 

“Hm. lovely morning for it isn't it? Well, if you’ll excuse me-” He muttered before trying to slip passed the king. That of course- was not happening, and Thorin grabbed him by the forearm before dragging him farther into the grass. 

“Where have you been?” Thorin cut to the chase, catching Bilbo’s nervous glare without hesitation. If the hobbit wanted to try and pretend like last night had never happened, he would have to put up more of a fight than simply just resorting to cowering. 

“Wherever I please” Bilbo snapped, his eyes lingering in the grass “My business does not concern you” 

Thorin felt his stomach drop at the sudden attitude shift, completely lost in where it could have come from. It was not out of the ordinary for Bilbo to act prickly, he wasn't usually the cuddly type. But his sass was usually followed by reasonable justification. 

“I think in this case it does concern me,” Thorin said, crossing his arms “Seeing as it was my bed you fled from this morning” 

Bilbo glared at him now, his brow lowering into a most impressive scowl. It almost unnerved Thorin, thank goodness he had an impressive poker face. 

“Not your bed- Beorn's bed! To which you were never invited in the first place” Bilbo spat, moving to try and get around Thorin once again. Thorin cut him off. 

“Excuse you?” He said, leaning down to crane over the hobbit “I recall asking very plainly for permission, followed by what I considered to be a very lovely evening”

Bilbo tried his best to hide his blush but failed, even though his apparent anger, his face betrayed more emotion than he would have liked. 

“I do not want to hear ridicule from you!” He stammered, balling his hands into fists out of frustration. 

“I am not ridiculing you!” Thorin countered, the hair along his arms bristling “I meant what I said, it was lovely!” 

The two of them stared at each other again, searching through each other’s eyes for what exactly the point of this argument was. Bilbo broke first, his hands sweeping over his face as he groaned. Thorin watched him and tried to fight back a weak smile. 

“Bilbo...What's wrong?” He asked. 

“What's wrong!? Thorin! We- we… we are what's wrong!” Bilbo said, flailing his arms out in front of him. Thorin blinked, his brows raising. 

“I- I don't mean that we- look, I had a lovely time last night too-” The hobbit started.

“Then I do not see a problem” Thorin cut in, tilting his head to the side.

“Shhh! Let me finish!” Bilbo snapped, his hands fluttering in front of Thorin’s face in an attempt to keep him quiet. 

“I had a lovely time, yes, but Thorin we can't- I cant..” he trailed off and after a moment of silence Thorin tested his luck.

“You regret it,” he said, feeling a little deflated. 

“No! Well- sort of- I… Thorin you must agree with me, I’m a hobbit!” Bilbo struggled, gesturing to himself. Thorin didn't follow. 

“Yes, you are?” He said. Bilbo slapped a hand over his face. 

“What I mean is- I’m a hobbit, not a dwarf! We can't be mates!” He tried to clarify “Not only that but you are bleeding royalty! Is this even allowed?” 

Thorin took a deep breath in understanding, sort of seeing where Bilbo was coming from. 

“Bilbo...If this quest succeeds and I take my place on the throne, the law will be mine to change how I wish” Thorin explained, his shoulders relaxing “I have every right to choose my own mate, dwarf or not” 

Bilbo’s blush only increased as he hid his face in his hands. Thorin watched him with careful eyes, finding it kind of cute that the hobbit would worry about such a thing. 

“That hardly matters!” Bilbo said, turning away from the king “It's not as if we really love each other” 

Now Thorin’s glare returned, staring down the Hobbit’s neck. 

“It's not?” He asked. 

“No you- You..” Bilbo turned to face Thorin with wide eyes “Th..Thorin you don’t-?” 

“What I said last night was true. I have had feelings for you for quite some time now” The king pressed closer to the hobbit, keeping a foot between them but maintaining a heavy gaze “I would not have acted on instinct without reason, which is why I made sure you wanted the same” 

Bilbo’s eyes were blown wide and amazed, staring into Thorin’s own with a desperate plea that the king could hear loud and clear. Gently, Thorin dropped to one knee, taking Bilbo’s hand in his own. 

“Bilbo Baggins, I did not consecrate our bond last night because I did not want to take the choice from you by force,” He said, looking over how small and soft Bilbo’s hand was in comparison to his own “But I have made up my mind”

He looked into Bilbo’s eyes again, surprised to find that the hobbit seemed to be on the verge of tears. 

“Tho ur mot enth..And I would like to keep you” Thorin spoke in khuzdul, he found common tongue lacking the ability to truly say what he meant “If you will keep me, in return” 

There was a long moment then, where they simply held each other's gaze. Bilbo brought his other hand up to cover his face, the shock nearly overwhelming. 

“Thorin..I..” Bilbo started-

“Thorin Oakenshield! Come inside and be a part of these plans, less I take your place on the throne as well as your responsibility as head of this company” Gandalf’s voice rung loud through the air as Thorin winced and pulled the hobbit close to him protectively. The king growled, hating being interrupted.

“Thorin…” Bilbo muttered, mumbling through Thorin’s hair from where he was currently tucked up against him. Thorin pulled back to look at him. 

“I accept,” Bilbo whispered, making the king’s smile spread wide across his face. The alpha grumbled low in his throat and pressed his face into the cook of Bilbo’s neck, kissing the soft skin he found there. He smiled at the way the omega shuddered against him, how his head instinctively tilted to the side to allow Thorin’s teeth to-

“But!” dang- there was always a catch. Thorin pulled back, unamused. 

“Only, after we finish, this quest” Bilbo smiled cheekily at Thorin’s pout “Let us finish this business first and foremost, before starting some of our own” 

Thorin had to agree with him, even if he hated putting something so important off until later. He smiled, nodding in agreement before standing back up. Even on the verge of tears, Bilbo still remained loyal to the company first before his own heart. The thought only reassured Thorin in his choice.

“Thorin!” Gandalf called again and this time Thorin really did growl in response.

“Coming, wizard!” He said, making Bilbo chuckle as he took the omega’s hand and the two of them made their way back into the house. Bilbo’s hand was small and warm within his own, his strong grip betraying a more dangerous side of him. 

“You promise you won’t leave me before we reach the mountain?” Thorin chuckled, eyeing his hobbit suspiciously. 

“Oh as if anything could take me from you. Besides..” Bilbo trailed off, catching a curl of his golden hair in his free hand “If I turn out to be pregnant, I’m sure I’ll be the one worried about you running off” 

Thorin froze, instantly on the spot. Bilbo regarded him with a cheeky grin before disappearing inside. Oh dear Mahal... what had Thorin gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, boy Thorin, better get going! Your baby mama's getting away!
> 
> “Tho ur mot enth..And I would like to keep you” - You are my one... And I would like to keep you


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so the company continued on!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back by popular demand! Yes, I plan on seeing this through to the end. Thank you all for your incredible support of this story- wow- I am so grateful!  
> I may jump around between plot points here and there so sorry in advance if I don't go too far in detail! But I want to get to points where I can write new scenes my self rather than rewrite the scenes of others ya know? 
> 
> Anyway! I hope you enjoy this!

“Hello, there little one, what are you doing out here all alone?”  
Bilbo nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of a deep, rumbling voice echoing out from behind him. He turned, surprised to lay eyes on perhaps, the largest man he had ever seen in his life. Bilbo thought Gandalf was tall- but this creature was enormous. Bilbo bet his head must be regularly sore due to the evitable bumps he must get from low hanging tree branches. Even haunched over the way he was, he was almost 5 times taller than Bilbo himself.  
Height wasn't the only thing he had on his side either, the man was also broad and thick shouldered, a dense mane of fur surrounding his neck trailing down from his head. He looked more like a beast than any man Bilbo had seen in Bree. 

“I-I-Well, I-” Bilbo stuttered, his words failing him as the enormity of the creature before him caught him completely by surprise. The man laughed a low and heartfelt sound that Bilbo felt in his very bones. 

“There, there, little bunny. Be still, I didn't mean to scare you” The beast said, coming to sit in the grass beside the hobbit. Bilbo had to toss his wet curls out of his face, still damp from his morning bath, before he could look at him clearly. The sun hadn't even started to poke its way out from around the mountainside, the subtle hints of rose-tinted light casting a warm glow over the man’s cheeks and jaw.

The beast was gentle as he took his seat, barely disturbing the clover despite his size. In fact, Bilbo was quick to recognize the amount of care the man took when sitting amongst the flowers as if he was afraid of hurting them. 

“So, what is your name little bunny?” The man asked once he was settled. 

“I- I am not a bunny!” Bilbo, despite his shock, quickly worked up enough courage to answer him “I am Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins. A hobbit of the Shire” 

The man raised one brow and smiled at the way Bilbo thumped his large feet against the grass- yes, not very bunny-like at all.

“Pardon me Master Baggins” He apologized “I am Beorn, and this-” he gestured back to the large wooden house “is my home”

Then- everything clicked inside of Bilbo’s head.

“O-oh! This is your home! Of course, it is, my goodness gracious-” Bilbo fumbled as he stood, nearly tangling up in his loose suspenders which dangled at his hips “I beg your pardon. Thank you so much for allowing me to stay the night!”

Bilbo bowed, suddenly very embarrassed for having been rude to the owner of the house he and his company had shanghaied. He wondered if Beorn was aware of the others still sleeping soundly inside and chose to keep the information to himself just in case he took offense to it.

“Very good, nicely done!” Beorn laughed again and ruffled Bilbo’s hair with one large hand. The omega flinched back on instinct, recoiling at the touch of a stranger. However kind and gentle this man seemed to be, the hobbit was still in no mood to be touched. 

“Ah! Ah- excuse you” Bilbo snapped, his hands flying to his hair in an effort to comb through it before it tangled. Beorn withdrew his hand and chuckled softly. 

“It’s very nice to meet you bunny. Now then, why are you out here all alone?” he asked. Bilbo bit back the urge to correct him- he was not a- oh well.. he simply sighed and sat back down in the grass. He supposed now was a better time than never to sort his story out. 

“I..Needed some space” He confessed, not even sure if that answer was the correct one to give. It upset him not to know, which only added to the stress. It seemed as though his whole world view had been tugged out from under him last night. He wasn't even sure he had any right to be upset.

After all, he had woken up to one of the most beautiful sights in middle earth this morning. Thorin sleeping on his back, with his raven hair pooling on either side of his face like a starry, midnight river. The silver strands would catch in the early morning light and as he would turn in his sleep, they would fall around his eyes and ears. He resembled a marble statue, so still and beautiful, not to mention the way the sheets had clung so generously around his chiseled form. The dwarf’s hands were large and warm against the small of Bilbo’s back when he had first wandered in out of sleep, Thorin had curled up around him protectively sometime in the night. 

It had stolen Bilbo’s breath away- and so he ran. 

He wasn't sure what to make of it yet- unsure of how to feel. The reality of the situation had come crashing down around him all at once after he had stood up and looked back at the bed. He and Thorin had mated last night...Truth be told it had been amazing, every single second of it. It wasn't as though Bilbo regretted it or wished that it had never happened- but... He was still confused over why it had happened at all. Had it… meant anything? 

He wasn't sure about Thorin’s experience on the subject, but last night had been Bilbo’s first time allowing anyone to get that close. Sure, at his age he was considered young and prime for sexual comfort but Bilbo himself had never really found anyone he trusted enough to...well… Let’s just say he was shy.  
Last night though, he had broken all of his rules and brought down all of his walls. Thorin had brought them down, and Bilbo had welcomed him inside. The dwarf had shown him a world of pleasure completely new to the little hobbit from Bag End and Bilbo could competently say; he was hooked. But that did not mean Thorin felt the same. 

“Where is your mate?” Beorn asked, catching the hobbit completely off guard. 

“M-My what!?” He said, spinning around to face the beast. Beorn only stared at him with wide eyes. 

“I can smell him on you, your alpha, surely he must be nearby?” The man commented, regarding Bilbo with a kind and knowing smile. 

Bilbo flushed, his whole face turning a pretty pink. His bath had succeeded in nothing it seemed, Thorin's scent having left a deep enough mark to withstand even Beorn’s lavender and honey soaps. The very idea of being scent claimed in such a way had Bilbo’s heart thudding loudly through his chest. Not only that, but the original implication itself was enough to rile the hobbit up something fierce. Having Thorin being referred to as ‘his’ in any capacity was out of the question. Especially now. 

“I don't have-”

Bilbo started to say, but was that the truth?

“He’s not-” 

What did last night mean if not that? He had no earthly idea… And it scared him.

“We aren't mates!” Bilbo snapped, hiding his face in his hands when the right words seemed too far out of reach. He crumpled to the ground, his knees tucking up close to his chest as he fought back the tears which threatened to fall.

Beorn went quiet for a little while, his glance shifting between the hobbit next to him and the growing sunrise out in front. The man had been on this earth for a good long time now, and he had seen this behavior before. Unknown to the bunny next to him of course, Beorn smiled and regarded him with warm eyes.

“I see. You need space to figure out why he advanced on you then” He said after a moment. Bilbo responded by tilting his head up, tears now freely falling from his eyes. Beorn reached out a hand and the hobbit took it, nuzzling into the comfort of another creature. Bilbo was thankful for the man’s company and for some reason, he trusted him. He probably would have taken anyone’s hand right now, the distress clouding his judgment. 

“I don't know what to do..” The hobbit wept, squeezing Beorn’s hand close to his face “It's not that.. *sniff* I don't like him...But Ive never...” 

The beast moved closer, using his other hand to gently rub Bilbo along his back, trying his best to soothe the crying little creature. 

“What happened, little one?” Beorn asked, helping the smaller omega through his turmoil with a sense of familiarity. He had always worked well with smaller animals.

“I was in heat... And he…” Bilbo sniffed, allowing Beorn to run his fingers through his hair soothingly.

“If he advanced on you without your consent then, by all means, you-” The man started with a gruff tone, only for Bilbo to interrupt him with a shake of his head.

“No I-I consented. He asked, made sure I wanted it too..” The hobbit explained, the idea of giving Beorn the wrong idea about Thorin sitting sourly with him. 

“I’m not the type to just let myself be taken advantage of, trust me,” Bilbo said, his lip stiffening up again a little as he defended himself. And it was true, Thorin had even rejected him before confirming with Bilbo that he was serious. In truth, it had meant the world to Bilbo at the time… Now, he was afraid he was reading too far into it.

“Oh, well then bunny, he must really fancy you” Beorn’s voice softened, a smile turning up at the corners of his mouth. Bilbo looked up at him and blinked, rubbing at his eyes. 

“Why do you say that?” He asked. 

“Alpha’s can be scary sometimes,” Beorn started, chuckling to himself “ Most have the mind to take what they want when they want it. If yours was so insistent on your comfort-” 

The man reached out and tilted Bilbo’s chin up “Then he must value you very greatly indeed” 

Bilbo’s whole heart fluttered at the thought, the last of his tears finally falling to the grass. It made sense, Thorin had been hesitant, he hadn't taken anything more than what was given to him. Truly, if he hadn't cared, he wouldn't have asked. Relief started pouring over Bilbo in waves, his nerves finally descending from the dramatic peak they had reached only an hour ago. 

“I also see you are unmarked, that is very impressive” Beorn added, gesturing to the spaces on either side of Bilbo’s neck. The omega followed his gaze and placed a hand there, rubbing the bruised but still pristine expanse of skin.

“Only an alpha with immense self-control would have stopped himself from staking his claim, he must be very strong,” The beast-man remarked with a grin, to which Bilbo’s cheeks rosied again. 

That was also true, Thorin was very strong… stronger still than even Bilbo knew if it was true and he really had that much self-control. There was a new, funny sensation at the back of his head that accompanied this revelation. Something that made him all giggly at the idea of Thorin having his best interests at heart. Good grief, fifty years old and here he was mooning over the dwarf like a fauntling. Bilbo sat and fiddled with his fingers, before flustering and crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Hmph, good heavens. It’s so unlike me to be this emotional” He fussed, tossing his curls and trying his best to reign in all these silly feelings. Beside him, Beorn laughed and patted him on the head.

“To be expected whilst in season I’m afraid!” He chuckled “Helps for making attachments, wouldn't want you losing your sire so soon” This caught Bilbo’s attention, he turned and looked up at the man again 

“My what?” he asked. 

“Your sire, the father of your future kits” Beorn stated plainly, which effectively worked in almost murdering the poor hobbit on the spot. Bilbo felt himself seize, his whole body tensing before he fell back into the clover with a gasp. Oh now, this was a whole new side of the story he hadn't considered. In all of his worrying over whether Thorin really wanted him- he had completely glazed over the idea of... Of...  
His hands flew to his belly, grasping at the space where he had never paid attention before now.

His future kits- kits... Fauntlings..dwarflings...Tiny little feet running through evergreen fields...

“No no no no- No! I- oh goodness me!” He groaned, his hands pressing into his face once again as he stared up at the lavender sky. What on earth was he going to do?

\------------------------------

Motherhood was a topic Bilbo had never really put much thought into. To be honest, he was never entirely sure he would ever want to take a mate at all let alone procreate. He had been a bachelor for so long now, had lived on his own in his great large hole, that the idea of filling it had all but left him.  
Sure, he had been known to entertain the fauntlings of the Shire on occasion. They would flock to his front porch, searching for stories every now and again. He would gladly oblige, reciting a few he remembered from his favorite childhood adventure books. But even if he was popular with other people’s children, it didn't mean he was distended to have any of his own. 

Now- It seemed as though there was no end to new horizons his dwarves would introduce him too. Thorin had certainly reached a new record recently- who could really beat ‘that’ after all?- but all of the dwarves, in general, had instilled so many new emotions in him already, could he really blame them for lighting the fire of one more? 

He thought of his childhood, the sunny evenings spent in the grass with his cousins, and all of the wonderful places their pretend adventures had taken them. He would come home late, covered in all manner of mud and leaf litter- twigs sticking out of his dirty blond curls. As his mother, bless her, would take her into her lap and clean him she would sing. Oh, how Bilbo missed Belladonna's singing.  
She had been a wonderful mother, no matter what his busy-body neighbors had tried to convince him of otherwise. She was strict but kind, loving, and sweet with such a perfect attention to detail. She had been his number one supporter as a child and had always been there to provide him with a good story, an excuse to go out looking for adventure. Never a dull moment in the Baggin’s household while Belladonna had been present- no doubt because she had been born a Took. It was thanks to her that Bilbo had plenty of stories to tell the neighborhood children, it was through her words that their imaginations came to life.

Bilbo missed her- and now he found himself wondering...Could he even hope to be half as good of a mother as she had been? 

“Irak’Amad”

He shouldn't be thinking about such a thing, he was aware. He wasn't even sure if he was pregnant yet for goodness sake. Talk about counting your chickens before they hatch.

“Irak’Amad!”

But if he was- how would he know? Surely, he would have gotten morning sickness already if he was. Would his heat still be causing him trouble if he was? Would he have strange cravings? Come to think of it, he had found himself craving something very specific for almost two days now. Something tall and handsome, something currently unpacking the rest of their supplies off the back of his pony. Oh, what Bilbo wouldn’t do to simply steal that dwarf away from-

“Irak’Amad!!”

“Excuse me!?” Bilbo finally snapped, spinning around to face Fili, who had been shouting at him- he thought- for the past five minutes. 

“Are you talking to me?” The hobbit asked, pointing a finger at himself. Fili snorted and nodded in response, his hands currently busy with keeping Kili an arms distance away from him. 

“Yes! I’ve been trying to tell you! Kili won’t stop putting his fingers in my mouth when I yawn. Even after I told him-”

“Why on earth are you complaining to me about that!?” Bilbo flustered, running a hand down his face and gripping the bridge of his nose. Dwarrows, for goodness sake. 

“Bilbo? Are you alright?” Thorin was suddenly very close, electing a squeak out of the hobbit who jumped in surprise. He flushed, turning back to the dwarf before clearing his throat and running a hand through his hair in an effort to regain his composure. 

“Y-yes I’m fine. These two were just being silly as per usual” He said, gesturing back to the dwarflings who were now pawing at each other like bear cubs. Thorin’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, a look which Bilbo had noticed he had given him quite a few times on their pony ride over from Beorn’s house. The king looked him up and down, his eyes lingering here and there. 

“Alright. Please let me know if you need anything” He said, raising a hand to Bilbo’s cheek and gently staring at him through his unfairly thick eyelashes. Bilbo felt his toes curl into the grass.  
Choosing to postpone their official bonding had been both the best and worst idea Bilbo had ever come up with. On one hand, the hobbit knew for sure a bond like that would only cause trouble along the way. He wasn't prepared to nest and hole himself up with Thorin while there was still a dragon to deal with in the distance- no matter how tempting of an idea it had sounded in his head. They had a job to get to first, silly romantic endeavors would just have come later.

He hoped. 

Thorin turned to regroup with the others, directing his company this way and that. Bilbo’s pony whined as he unpacked the last of his things and after their long ride, his eyes finally settled on Mirkwood. The hobbit’s lip curled up in disgust, this wasn't his idea of a lovely venture that was for sure. The entire woodland seemed to be growing forth from the shadows as if it had a dark and twisted mind of its own. Gandalf had told them a little about it during their ride but it was all still so vague. 

“This is not the GreenWood of old” The wizard’s voice suddenly cut through the company, diverting all attention back onto him “There is a stream in the forest that carries a dark enchantment, do not touch the water. The very air of the forest is heavy with illusion, it will seek to lead you astray” 

“Lead us astray?” Bilbo hesitated, walking forward a bit and raising a hand in question. Gandalf regarded him with a nod, which did nothing to ease his nerves. 

“You must stay on the path, do not leave it! If you do, you will never find it again.” Gandalf warned, and Bilbo swallowed a large lump in his throat. He turned back, staring out past the elvish entrance to the forest. His eyes tracked along the edges of roots which twisted like vines around the cobblestone. Bricks had been bulged up and out of their seats by vine and branch alike, the very path twisting and turning out of sight down the vast expanse of undergrowth. Bilbo did not like the look of this.  
Absentmindedly, Bilbo let his hands come to rest on his belly, some primal part of him wanting to stay as far away from this place as he could. This was no place for hobbits, no place for him. Cowardess was a trait which, in particular, often plagued Bilbo’s mind. Always managing to find a foothold here and there, it along with fear were never too far behind his lingering footsteps. Bilbo disliked cowards, thought very poorly of them- but even more so about himself who just so happened to be the biggest coward he knew. This woodland taunted him, reminding him of the woods he had very nearly gotten lost in long ago. Thick, shadowy trunks hid dangers beyond his imagination and every single instinct inside of Bilbo’s brain sternly screamed at him to turn tail and run. 

“Do not worry, we will get through it,” Thorin was beside him again, breaking Bilbo’s attention away from the looming shadow of the trees. The dwarf smiled softly before pressing his forehead against Bilbo’s and all of a sudden- the worry of the trek ahead was lost. 

“Y...Yes” Bilbo suddenly cleared his throat, rolling his shoulders with a nod of his head “We’ve handled goblins and wargs- Why, this will be a ‘walk in the woods!’” He joked. Thorin chuckled, his hand curling around Bilbo’s hip to offer a gentle squeeze.

“Come on, let’s get started,” The dwarf said, marching forward and picking up a pack of equipment. Bilbo watched him, the familiar buzz in the back of his skull insisting on sticking close. Luckily, that idea was in everyone's best interest and together they started their long, dark, walk in the woods. 

Mirkwood was not what most would consider being “lovely”. In fact, Bilbo was very aware that the entirety of his company soon grew to despise every inch of this wretched woodland. The many days they spent within the winding confines of the forest seemed to go on and on, never-ending and forever dragging on into the shadow. It had been a dark and damp, dreadful place and it had been that way even before the spiders had shown up. 

From Bilbo’s perch high up in the trees, he hadn't really seen them coming but had watched as something dragged the dwarfs off into the darkness. It was only after he had fallen down into a web of his own had he realized the severity of the situation. Strung up high in the branches of Mirkwood, Bilbo fought his way free of this particularly horrible situation, picking up a rather beautiful name for his sword along the way as well- lovely. 

Freeing his dwarves had turned out to be easier than he had expected, what with having the magic ring on his side to help him along. He had not fancied being tied up in webs himself and paying back the terror and pain to the arachnids in question did wonders to ease the soul. When he had stood before the creatures and starred them down as they spoke in their hellish tongue, Bilbo had felt a flame growing inside of him.  
They had swarmed around his company, laying their filthy little claws all over his dwarves, and Bilbo couldn’t help but enjoy slicing into them when he had gotten the chance. 

Unfortunately, even releasing the company from their webs had proven to be a useless endeavor because even after their fight against the spiders, they had been introduced to a new enemy. Bilbo had missed their initial encounter with the Mirkwood elves, having been ‘preoccupied’ with saving his ring at the time. But now, standing in a clearing next to a slowly rotting bug carcass, he found himself very literally- out of the loop. 

In the distance, Bilbo caught sight of a group of figures wandering out of sight and decided it was best to follow them rather than double back. He had no interest in running into the spiders again, that was for damn sure. The lingering scents of his company mulled around amongst the stank of spiders on the forest floor. He knew for sure they had come this way, but the new scents accompanying him were unnerving to say the least. Still, this was his best lead.  
So, the hobbit quickly slipped on the ring and followed after them, determined to retrieve his dwarves from the clutches of whatever had caught them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elves make the worst house guests- Also F in the chat for mixing book and movie plot points am I right??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning you right not- the next few chapters are Un-Betaed meaning that if you spot a silly little mistake I am so sorry XD  
> But hey! Longer chapters!

There were many simple things that Thorin Oakinsheld had all but given up on in life. The comfort of a warm hearth to lay beside after a long day, the idea of warm cooked meals on a regular basis, and the possibility of a lover- to name a few. 

After losing his home, his kingdom, and having to guide his people through their new lives as nomadic outcasts- he didn't have time for the simple things anymore. Warm hearths didn't sprout from the ground along craggy mountain paths and warm cooked meals were few and far between on sleepless nights. Thorin had to learn to accept giving up the pleasures of a normal life, embracing the cruel reality that fate had dished out to him. This was what he had, and those were things he had to give up. 

The fru- fru royal comforts of Erebor he could learn to live without, but lovers were a whole other issue. During his time taking work in the cities of men, he had seen how easily the residential species had tossed around their idea of love. The culture shock had been something he had gotten used to overtime but the concept of it all still confused him to this day. Humans loved freely, multiple times, and some very eagerly so. Thorin had chocked it up to their shorter than average life spans, how could one afford to wait after all- with such little time upon the earth to spend. 

Dwarves were very different, different than every other race in many ways but in this way very particularly; they only loved once. 

Finding your ‘one’ was considered to be a very precious thing in dwarf society and only happened once in a blue moon. With their extremely below average birth rate, dwarves were considered to be an almost ‘endangered’ species by some. Thorin had always thought that sounded stupid, there were many more of them than men or elves could ever hope to know. Not to mention that every other race thought that they were a stuck up, stingy lot when it came to issues of the heart. But what they saw as reserved, Thorin saw as romantic. Despite being a race of mostly alphas, his people were deeply emotionally bound. The bonds they made lasted lifetimes, which meant a lot coming from a dwarf due to how many centuries that could mean. 

Loving only once, as rare and as fleeting an idea, seemed like the most precious gift.

Thorin had always dreamt of finding his ‘one’ when he was a dwarfling, after hearing his mother talk so highly of his father. He had daydreamed about the things he would make for that special mystery person, the places that he would show them, and the riches he would one day share with them. But as Thorin grew older, such an idea became just another thing he gave up.

Until Bilbo had found him. 

If you had told Thorin Oakinshield, not even 3 months ago, that his ‘one’ would be not only a hobbit but a snarky and ill-tempered little one at that- the king would have laughed in your face. To this day, he caught himself chuckling in reflection of such a fact and could barely believe it himself. Until, of course, his eyes would fall upon Bilbo’s curly blond head and he’d have to catch himself from mooning on the spot. Bilbo Baggins, an incredibly wonderful riddle of a creature, never failed in surprising him. 

With their bond on a momentary hiatus, Thorin had to keep reminding himself that Bilbo was not technically ‘his’ yet- but with the hobbit’s recent revelation, that sentiment had gotten harder and harder to discredit. 

“If I turn out to be pregnant, I’m sure I’ll be the one worried about you running off” 

If Thorin ever had a sentence he would consider to be ‘life-changing’, that had been it. Pregnant...Bilbo, Pregnant… with his- Dear Mahal he almost couldn't think about it without smiling like an idiot. If lovers were highly valued in dwarfish society than children were treasured beyond measure. Rare and few in number, dwarflings were protected by their families with a fierceness unrivaled in all of middle earth. Due to how low the birthrate was amongst dwarves, those with children, were considered to be very luckily indeed. And Bilbo had regarded him with doubt as if the idea of such a thing would push the dwarf away from him.  
On the contrary, Thorin never wanted to let the hobbit out of his sight.

“Thorin! Where’s Bilbo?” Bofur hissed through his teeth as the Mirkwood elves carted them off. Thorin felt his blood run cold at the question, realizing that he had no answer to it at all. He spun around, searching the twisting roots of the forest for their burglar, and found nothing but the rough hand of an elf pushing his forward. 

“Ma tûmbaz!” Thorin snapped, snarling at the pointy-eared bastard. 

The elf regarded him with a scoff as they went along, Mirkwood slowly presenting them with a path that Thorin swore wasn't there before. Mahal only knew how much Thorin hated elves. Well- perhaps that wasn't entirely true, he wasn't exactly subtle about it at all. Despite his reserve for many things, his opinions on elves were never in short supply. Thankfully, his company and the majority of his species had his back on this. Now though, Thorin considered himself the first to reach this exact level of hate. 

His company was dragged along the path leading up towards the entrance to what he assumed to be the Mirkwood kingdom. A large stone castle rose up from the ground, intertwining with the forest as it stretched high into the canopy. A river twisted underneath their feet as they were guided along a cobblestone bridge. The realm of the Mirkwood elves was guarded heavily by two sets of warriors, each serving the dwarves their fair share of blank and unimpressed glares. 

Thorin turned to look at the woods one last time, his eyes once again scanning the tree line. Fili and Kili both turned to look at him but were roughly pushed forward by their captors, causing Thorin to react and snap his teeth at the elves protectively. With his attention divided, Thorin struggled against his restraints as every instinct was torn to shreds inside his head. Large blue doors opened up in front of them and helplessly, the dwarves were guided inside. 

“Kos daukhel!!” Thorin cursed, angrily shaking the bars of his prison cell. The clattering of stone shivered up the walls of the dungeon, echoing off of the stone. Thranduil must think him a fool to have even suggested such a compromise. To think he would accept the petty help from a foul, pompous, no good-

“Thorin, calm yourself!” Balin scolded from somewhere up above him. Thorin growled and shook the bars of his cage again, his hair falling in his face. 

“I will not be silenced like some pup!” He roared, his knuckles turning white as his grip tightened impossibly harder around the bars. 

“Then stop acting like one!” Balin snapped, to which Thorin scoffed, turning to pace back into the dark recesses of his cell. 

He felt a little bad for behaving so sourly, even though he knew that his anger towards the elves was justified. No doubt his mood was distressing those of his company who were all encaged around him and for that he felt a little guilty. He just- He couldn't help it, he was feeling such an unnatural amount of anger flooding through him. His people had been disrespected, his kin locked up like animals and a voice in the back of his head kept screaming at him to break free and-!

And what? 

Thorin stopped, realizing that he had been pacing for the better half of ten minutes. He stood alone in his cell, the stone walls clamping down around him and he wondered- what? What would he do if he broke out of here right now? He would free his company and escape with them- but how? He didn't have answers for those questions, and until he did, breaking out wouldn't help him. Thorin wasn't sure what could help him now. 

Then that voice, the same little voice that had been so insistent on escape not even minutes ago, whispered to him again. 

“Where is Bilbo?”

Once again, Thorin didn't have an answer to this question. Like a smack to the face, so many emotions hit him all at once. Bilbo was gone- had the spiders gotten him?- Bilbo was alive- Did he know where they had been taken?

He had to squeeze his eyes shut to stop the flood of thought from overwhelming him, pressing his fingers against his temples and rubbing gentle circles against them. He didn't have an answer, but the thought of the hobbit alone had given him hope. Bilbo was not dead, he couldn't be. Bilbo- small, wonderful and brave little Bilbo- was far too sneaky and clever to be caught by spiders or even elves for that matter.

It was pleasant enough to contemplate anyway. Thorin held tight to that hope, the mere idea that perhaps Bilbo was still out there. He wouldn't know for sure unless a miracle occurred, a fleeting thought which Thorin quickly dismissed. Yes- because miracles so commonly found their way into his life. Reluctantly, Thorin resigned himself to leaning back against the wall of his cell with a defeated sigh.  
Balin asked him if Thranduil had offered him a deal, to which he confessed that he had. Balin seemed very unimpressed with what Thorin had to say in response. 

“That's that then...A deal was our only hope” Balin groaned, earning a wince from the king, the guilt of his big mouth finally catching up with him. 

But then, Thorin grasped hold of that one singular hope and looked past the bars of his cell with a grin.  
“No… Not our only hope” 

Hours passed and Thorin had paced the entirety of his cage over and over again, his hand over his mouth as he brooded to himself. Many elves had passed by every now and again, glaring at him through the bars. Some had even attempted to speak to a few of his company members, one in particular, hanging very keenly around the cell containing his nephews. Thorin tried his best not to let that crawl under his skin. He couldn't be bothered with them, he had to keep his brain preoccupied, or else the worry might threaten to consume him. If Bilbo had in fact met his end in the forest...

Thorin shook his head, the very idea that his hobbit having not survived the spider attack causing his heart to break. No, he refused to believe it. Bilbo was alive, somewhere out there, Thorin was certain of it. He had abandoned hope in Bilbo once before and had been thoroughly proven wrong afterward. He would not make the same mistake again, Bilbo was alive and would not leave them. Now, if only Mahal would prove it to him. 

“Irak’Amad!!”

Suddenly, Fili and Kili’s voices rang out above his head. Thorin flinched, surprised by the sudden noise but also by the words chosen- no- certainly it couldn't be-

“Shhh! Boys, please-” Thorin knew that voice anywhere, that shrill and flustering, wonderful voice. It trailed off into a mumble as the owner lowered its volume but soon enough, the padding of adorably large feet followed suit. Bilbo, in all of his disheveled glory, made his way down the stone staircase leading to Thorin’s cell and grasped happily at its bars. He was covered in webbing and leaves, a few twigs sticking up here and there out of his hair but to Thorin, he was beautiful. A stupidly large smile was spread across Bilbo’s face and if Thorin thought it was possible for him to fall in love with the hobbit all over again, here he was, falling. 

“Thor- '' Bilbo didn't even have the chance to finish his sentence before Thorin had crossed the expanse of his cell and reached out to grab him. 

The cell bars between them kept them from properly embracing but Thorin’s hands reached through well enough, wrapping around the hobbit’s back as he buried his nose in Bilbo’s hair. Bilbo tensed against his touch, no doubt uncomfortable from the bars digging into his front but Thorin couldn't help it- he was just so happy to see Bilbo alive. 

“I knew it..tho're tokir bjuttagur..” Thorin whispered, Bilbo’s honeysuckle scent washing over him to settle nicely into the previously empty husk of his chest. He felt as though a part of him had been taken by the hobbit, and now he was finally whole again, having the tiny creature in his arms where he belonged.

“Thorin” Bilbo muttered into his shoulder, hugging the dwarf in return but insistently tapping on his chest “Please, a second!” 

Thorin pulled back a little reluctantly and nodded, trying his best to regain his composure. He would have all the time in the world to hug his hobbit later, after they had all escaped- speaking of which. 

“How did you evade the elves?” Thorin asked him, looking over Bilbo intently, searching for injuries or any sign of a scuffle. To his surprise, the hobbit seemed unscathed for the most part. 

“No time to explain, and I must hurry on!” Bilbo whispered, looking over his shoulder as he spoke “Patrols are coming!”

He grabbed Thorin’s hand in both of his own, his small fingers curling around the king’s knuckles tightly. Thorin’s eyes looked down at the sight of their hands joined like this and felt his heart sing, never wanting to lose it. 

“Thorin,” Bilbo spoke softly, his eyes huge and catching the light of the torches on the wall “I promise you, I will get us out of here” 

And then, Bilbo ran away. Thorin reached a hand out after him, hoping for perhaps a little bit more clarity than that but, off he went. He rounded the corner and then poof- he was gone, leaving a very confused and flustered king behind him.

Bilbo would return every day, or so Thorin assumed- it was incredibly hard to keep track of time in this Valar forsaken place. The hobbit would discuss the patterns of the guards, the layout of the castle itself, and how much progress he had made on their escape plan. Thorin would listen with warm eyes. He still had no idea how Bilbo was managing to sneak around so easily without being caught but he hardly cared, he was just happy the whole miracle was working out. 

“I think I may be onto something, I’ll keep you updated,” Bilbo said, his fingers intertwining with Thorin’s own in their usual routine. Thorin looked at his face, there were subtle bags which had gathered there under his eyes and he winced. Bilbo’s hair had grown out around his cheeks, gathering more along his shoulders that it had months ago with his bangs dangling over the tops of his brow. He looked tired, in need of a good night’s rest and Thorin wished above everything else that he could provide one for him. The hobbit was putting so much effort into their escape, it was heartbreaking to have to place so much weight on his shoulders. 

“Bilbo,” Thorin said, flustering for a second as the hobbit looked up into his eyes “I am proud of you, thank you” 

The blush that erupted across Bilbo’s cheeks was enough of a reward as Thorin could have ever dreamed of. It started from his nose and branched out across his face, reaching even the tips of his perfectly pointed ears.

“I-Well, I-” Bilbo stuttered, causing Thorin to honestly grin for the first time in what felt like weeks. The king made a note in his mind, to never live another year without this view. 

“Irak’Amad, quit kissing, and come visit us next!” Fili’s voice suddenly cut through the silence in a sharp whisper, causing Thorin and Bilbo both to flinch. Bilbo in particular glared up towards the space where the prince was kept.

“Shhh! Boys!” Bilbo flustered, waving his hands around a little before he sighed “That word again! He and Kili both have been- What does it mean?” The hobbit asked, looking at Thorin expectedly. 

The dwarf in question felt his whole heart swell about ten times larger than usual, finding it difficult to look Bilbo in the eyes as he worried at his bottom lip. He shyly cleared his throat, a smile pulling at his lips.

“It...Well it has no direct translation but-” He started, catching Bilbo’s hazel gaze at last “It means…-” 

The sound of footsteps cut Thorin off, sending Bilbo ricocheting from the bars and back into the shadows of the stairwell. Before he disappeared completely, the hobbit turned back and offered Thorin a nod- one that spoke volumes to the king but hurt non the less. Pleasantries would have to be kept for later.

When Bilbo did not return the following morning around his usual time, Thorin started to grow very worried. When he still failed to show himself even hours later, the king found himself pacing again and by noon- he was almost enraged. Had they caught him? Was he safe? Oh gods, here he went again, jumping to conclusions. No- they had not caught him, surely he would have been locked up like the rest of them if he had been. 

Thorin took a deep breath, resisting the urge to unleash his temper against the rocky face of his prison wall and tried to remain calm. He needed to trust the hobbit, his burglar, the creature who had proven him wrong time and time again and had saved his life twice now. He needed to trust... his mate. 

“I’ll wager the sun is on the rise. Another dawn wasted…” Bofur grumbled from his cell.

Thorin winced, his hands clenching into tightly balled fists. It was so hard to not fall into dismay, so hard to fight through what seemed to be the inevitable truth of the situation. If they were not released soon, they would fall too far behind in their schedule and never make it to the mountain in time. Dear Valar, could things just go smoothly for once on this quest!?

“We’re never going to reach the mountain are we…?” Ori sighed, resting his head on Doir’s shoulder, and for a moment, Thorin almost believed in such a fate. 

There was a long pause of silence shared between the company until the jingling of keys broke them all out of their daze.

“Not stuck in here you’re not!” 

Thorin let his eyes flutter closed, thanking Mahal- thanking his forefathers- thanking bloody Durin himself and whoever else was listening in for good measure. They were getting the hell out of here.

When Bilbo had released the other members of the company and had hobbled his way down to Thorin's cell, the dwarf immediately brought him into his arms. Against the hobbit's insisting pleas and cries of urgency, Thorin held fast and buried his nose into Bilbo's hair. Sweet, amazing little Bilbo- He decided then and there to never let his hobbit go again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khudul translations- except for that 'one' which you'll just have to wait for 
> 
> “Ma tûmbaz!” - Dont touch me! 
> 
> “Kos daukhel!!” - Ugly beasts! 
> 
> “I knew it..tho're tokir bjuttagur..” - You're still alive


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Promises are made- but can they be kept?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut ahead- ya'll already know

Barrels had not been what he had in mind, to begin with, no. Bilbo had gone over many escape plans during his time evading the Mirkwood elves and honestly, how he ended up with barrels was beyond him. Still- it wasn't as if it hadn't worked out for them in the end, even if it had turned out to be a wet and wild ride. Bilbo counted himself lucky that he had managed to hold on through it all, very thankful for the iron grip of his dwarves through the rapids. He would have liked to report that they all made it off without a hitch- but of course, when did things ever go smoothly for them. 

“Kili!” Fili’s voice was frantic as he pulled himself from his barrel, struggling through the water to meet his brother who had made it ashore. Kili’s fingers dug into the gravel and stone of the shoreline, clawing his way out of the water with one grip on his thigh. Fili splashed through the river, toppling over himself in his desperation.

“Kili, ongra atur!” Fili cried as he reached Kili on the shore, flying to his side and holding his shoulders as his eyes scanned his little brother helplessly. 

Bilbo himself was currently wringing the water out of his coat when he heard the prince’s cries. His head quickly snapped over to where they lay and something clicked inside of his head. 

“...Kili..?” He muttered, before dashing over the rocks to join them on the stone. 

“What happened?” He asked Fili, who’s eyes met with his desperately.

“He was shot! On the ridge, did you not see?” The prince responded, Kili groaning as Bilbo’s hands joined Fili’s around his thigh. 

Bilbo winced when he spotted it, the bloody stump of an ork’s arrow jutting out of the side of Fili’s knee. They had certainly got him, Bilbo was confused about how he had missed such a thing. Then he remembered- he must have been pretty busy trying not to drown at the time. 

“Kili, it’s alright. You're going to be fine” He said quickly, grabbing hold of Kili’s hand as the prince reached around and gripped the air from the pain. Bilbo knew somewhere in his mind that the prince was probably used to arrow wounds, what with the life he led, but that didn't mean this didn't still hurt like hell. 

“Oin!” Bilbo called over his shoulder, catching the attention of the medical dwarf as he too, wandered up onto the shore. 

“Aye laddy, out of the way now” The older dwarf sighed, making his way over to the prince. Bilbo watched him, wondering why the hell no one else seemed to be feeling the urgency here. Well- no one else, except for-

“Kili! Is he alright?” Thorin was at Bilbo's side without the hobbit even having to ask, the king's attention split between him and the two princes before him.

“He was shot” Bilbo muttered, a tiny bit of panic rising in his throat. 

“Oh please you two, he’ll be fine!” Oin snapped, waving his hands about to try and shoo his audience away. Bilbo found it incredibly hard to move. 

“We need to remove the arrowhead though, likely the thing’s still stuck in there” Oin mumbled, squinting an eye as he turned Kili over onto his side. Bilbo knew what that meant.

“Kili, darling, look at me,” He said, grabbing hold of Kili’s hands and the medical dwarf shed his wet gloves. Kili’s eyes were blown wide in panic but did as he was told, looking up at Bilbo and Thorin who were crouched above him. 

“This will hurt, ready?” Oin asked and Bilbo wished he didn't have to nod in agreement.

It was incredibly difficult, after that, for Bilbo to let the princes out of his sight. Even after Bard had come and the deal had been struck for him to sneak them into Lake Town, Bilbo was insistent on keeping the two dwarflings close at all times. Fili and Kili seemed perfectly happy with the arrangement, seeing as they hardly wanted to be parted from him anyway, but it seemed as though Bilbo had started a trend. Thorin was also acting very protective, whether inspired by Bilbo’s own ‘mother henning’ or by the will of his own head- Bilbo wasn't sure. But it was very hard to ignore either way. 

Thorin’s hands would often linger here and there, on Bilbo’s hips or across his back. He made a point to stay close to Bilbo’s side, placing himself between the hobbit and the water of the lake which would lap up against the side of the barge. Bilbo found himself easily growing accustomed to the close contact, craving more of it after having narrowly escaped such close calls with death.  
It would seem that Thorin craved such closeness too, the thought of which causing Bilbo’s toes to curl.

Their journey into Lake Town proved to be a simple one at the very least. Bilbo had a feeling that hiding in barrels full of fish wasn't their best idea- sure- but he was learning quickly to just go with the flow of things these days. Bard was nice enough, at least to Bilbo who treated him with niceness in return. The dwarves were understandably cautious of him, as they were with any creature outside of their immediate circle. Bilbo could not blame them, but he could step on a few of their toes whenever they felt the need to be particularly cruel to the man. 

The city of men was a wet and watery one, suspended on stilts that stood tall out of the lake below, hence the name. Bilbo had never been to a human city before unless he really wanted to count Bree- but no one ever counted Bree.  
Humans were tall, not quite as tall as elves but just as unpredictable. The hobbit had almost been trampled on multiple occasions due to their seemingly non-existent awareness of him. He couldn't blame them, they seemed to be a very burdened folk. The water they inhabited was icy, no doubt chilling their very souls to the bone. Bilbo stuck close to his pack, the lot of them sneaking their way through what was about to be a very complicated stay in Lake Town.  
Sure enough, conflict had found them sooner rather than later. 

Lots of drama and heroic speeches later, Bilbo now found himself seated comfortably on the floor of the rather large house they had been gifted by the ‘Master’ as the humans called him. Bilbo wasn't particularly fond of him, he had the character of a spoiled milk jug and a temperament just as sour. But the dwarves seemed perfectly happy to take advantage of his kindness and Bilbo was just as happy to eat every plate of food that the Master placed in front of him. It was a shame about Bard though, having made his stance of their company’s mission very clear. 

“Why do ya’ think he doubts us so?” Bofur asked, leaning up against one of the legs of a great maple wood recliner from his spot on the floor. The house, seeing as it was made and furnished for tall folk, wasn’t perhaps the best fit for them. Each of his company members seemed to be making the most of it though, so Bilbo didn’t mind. His eyes were glued to the fire in front of him, a blanket tucked neatly around his shoulders as he finished off the last of his plate of biscuits.

“Because he’s not the sharpest tool in the toolbox?” Nori replied with a shrug. The surrounding dwarves all laughed at that, Bombur finally joining them from his last mission into the kitchens. 

“Aye, or he’s just got a death wish” Dwalin grumbled, shoving another grape into his mouth with a roll of his eyes. Balin glared up at him from his seat in a chair and swatted his brother who leaned back against the fireplace. 

“He’s only thinking of his kin first. Wise, if not just a little mislead I’m sure” Balin said, running a hand through his beard as he went back to the duty of re-styling it “Besides, our glorious leader should be able to relate to such a sentiment” And speaking of his highness- 

Bilbo’s eyes curiously looked over to where Thorin now made his way down the stairs. He was rolling his sleeves up above his forearms, a shadow cast across his face as he looked back up the stairwell one last time. 

“How are they?” Bilbo asked, knowing that the king had just returned from Kili’s bedside. The dwarfling’s wound was festering, much to the company's dismay, and to the immediate surprise of Oin, who couldn't figure out why. 

“Kili is resting. Fili refuses to leave his side” Thorin answered “I can not tell if it's getting worse. Oin sent me away due to my ‘hovering'’' He spoke the last word with air quotes and Bilbo smiled shyly. 

“I’m sure he’ll be fine” The hobbit offered, tracking Thorin as he came to sit beside him in front of the fire. The king was tired, Bilbo could tell just from the way his shoulders sagged. The problem was, the hobbit wasn't sure as to how to help him, no matter how much he wished he could. 

Thorin smiled, the edges of his eyes crinkling in the most handsome way. Bilbo felt his heart skip a beat, reaching a hand out to rub the king’s shoulder in comfort. Thorin leaned into the touch, his dark blue eyes gazing up and down Bilbo’s form. They stopped when they reached the very top of his head and Bilbo’s brow quirked up inquisitively. 

“What is it?” He asked. 

“Your hair, it's much longer now than it was when we left the Shire” Thorin commented, one large hand coming cup the hobbit’s cheek. Bilbo blinked in surprise and went to tangle his fingers through his curls. The king was right, that was strange- he hadn't even noticed. 

“Looks good if ya’ ask me! Surprises me still why hobbits don't grow it out!” Gloin spoke up, his attention previously busy with the sharpening of his axe. The other members of the company all murmured in agreement and Bilbo looked around at them with wide eyes. 

“You think I should keep it this length?” He asked in surprise. Long hair was considered sloppy in hobbit society, a sign that one most likely lived outside of luxury- or without the luxury of scissors at the very least. Looking around the room now, it was easy to acknowledge that the length of every dwarf’s hair seemed to be an object of great pride. He wasn't sure why he never picked up on it before.

“Aye! Longer still while you're at it, looks mighty fine on ya’” Dori said with a smile before going back to re-braiding Ori’s hair. Bilbo watched the exchange with sudden inspiration. 

“Well, then- can you braid my hair?” He asked, turning back to Thorin who almost immediately flustered in response. The king bit the inside of his cheek and looked off to the side, Bilbo watched him curiously. The surrounding dwarves all laughed amongst themselves, teasing their king in khuzdul.

“What's the matter?” He asked with a smile. Thorin responded by shifting onto his knees and opening his arms, gesturing for Bilbo to turn so that his back would face him. Bilbo squinted but did as he was told, happy to receive the attention. When Thorin’s hands settled in his hair, he was easily distracted from the dwarf’s curious behavior by the comforting feeling of his hands combing through his curls.

“Don't mind him, lad, braiding means very different things in our culture than it might yours I’m sure” Balin smiled as he spoke, chuckling to himself as he regarded Thorin with a knowing look. 

“Ya’ see Bilbo-'' Bofur cleared his throat “Braiding and hair in our culture are very important. Why, there are different braids for every occasion” He dramatically waved a hand in the air, Bilbo chuckling as Thorin’s hands skilfully separated his curls.

“Aye, there are different braids for different positions of authority!” Gloin chimed in when Bilbo’s bangs were finally lifted from his eyes. 

“And different braids for your spot in the family” Ori added on with the sweetest of smiles. The words finally started to sink in and when Thorin’s hands left his hair for a moment, he felt his heartbeat quicken a little in his chest.

“Families or clans often share similar types of braids with each other, as another way to show how close-knit they are,” Bombur explained with a smile, gesturing to Nori’s fabulous trio of decorative braids and then to Doir’s own. Bilbo noticed that they were in fact, the same braid, united even more so by a matching bead at their ends.

“The beads or clasps can be gifted as a sign of engagement or acceptance” Bofur smiled, leaning back and pulling out his pipe “Highly sought after little tokens indeed”

“Engagement…” Bilbo whispered to himself, his hands starting to fiddle with the hem of the blanket. 

“You asked me, in Mirkwood, what name Fili and Kili had started to use for you…” Thorin’s voice was low and timid as Bilbo heard the click of something being clasped into his hair “Would you still like to know?”

“Y...Yes…?” Bilbo asked, Thorin’s hands finally coming to rest on his shoulders. He started to turn, wanting to look Thorin in the eyes when he heard what the dwarf had to tell him. He didn’t want to assume, not wanting to get his hopes up but Bilbo almost thought-

“Auntie, Kili says that he- Oh!” Suddenly, all attention in the room was directed towards Fili who had wandered down from upstairs a few moments ago. Bilbo felt his breath catch in the back of his throat.

“Bilbo, that looks lovely!” The prince commented with a smile, but Bilbo could hardly hear him. He was too busy catching up to the fact that he had apparently been drafted into the royal family without his consent. Turning back around to face Thorin, Bilbo found that his royal highness was absolutely no help at all- his face beat red as his eyes lingered insistently near the fire. Bilbo noticed one of the clasps of his iconic braids was missing and the hobbit absent-mindedly reached up to feel around his scalp. Sure enough, the two braids on either side of his head met near the back and a familiar metal bead held them both in place.

“A..Au..Auntie??” He muttered, directing a finger towards his face as he blinked in surprise, turning back to the prince. Thorin cleared his throat, the rest of the company laughing with delight. Fili seemed a little taken aback by what he had walked into but continued forward nonetheless. 

“Yes! Kili is asking for you, but Oin told me to bugger off,” The older prince said plainly, taking his seat on the floor next to Thorin “Did uncle do those? They suit you!” 

The prince reached out to freely mess with Bilbo’s hair following a comment about how the braids looked a lot like his, only pulling another laugh from the bellies of the gathered dwarfs around them. Bilbo couldn't respond, the red of his face overtaking his ears. Now, he didn't even have his curls to hide behind. 

\------------------------------

The night had crept up on them quicker than they had expected, but the promise of a good night's rest- in an actual bed- was something Thoin was more than happy to look forward to. Human beds were a tad bit too big for him and his company but Thorin had dealt with worse, a nice flush blanketing his face at the memories of the last gigantic bed he had spent some time in.

Bilbo had snuck away to meet with Kili in the prince's room, managing to convince Oin to let him through. Thorin, of course, was not allowed in, not even his royal “I am the king, do what I say” card could get past the weary old dwarf. Thorin wondered quietly to himself about if this was how Bilbo had managed to sneak around so easily, that everything in Middle Earth just considered him too adorable to resist and would let him go. If that was, in fact, the case then he felt a little disappointed in himself for falling for it along with the rest of the realm. 

“Kili’s alright. He’s resting now” Thorin looked up as Bilbo entered their room, smiling as the hobbit came in and shut the door behind him. He unclasped the coat he was wearing, far too big for such a little creature, and hung it against the doorknob. Thorin watched him with a warm smile, his eyes lingering on the braids that now pulled Bilbo’s hair out of his face. They suited the hobbit very nicely, perhaps a little too short for Thorin’s liking but still. They would only grow longer with time and that, along with many other things, he could look forward to. 

“Good to hear. I hope he recovers by morning” The king said, bringing his legs up to cross under him. Bilbo nodded in agreement and started to climb up onto the bed himself, having a little bit of trouble in doing so. Thorin chuckled and helped him up, pulling the hobbit into his arms.

“Now then, onto business” Thorin grumbled, turning Bilbo so that he was straddling the king’s lap. Bilbo giggled into his embrace, squirming against him out of embarrassment. 

“Thorin! We need to get some rest, come now we-” He started fussing which was cute, but unnecessary, Thorin decided as he pressed a kiss into the curve of the omega’s neck. Bilbo stilled, his body slowly relaxing into the touch.

“Yes, yes. Tomorrow is a big day indeed,” Thorin’s voice murmured into Bilbo’s skin “We might be traveling to our deaths” 

Bilbo shivered, not only from Thorin’s hands gently sliding down his back but from the edge of the king’s words. The omega pressed forward, burying his face into Thorin’s wild, dark hair. 

“Nonsense. We are going to get your mountain back” He murmured, sounding afraid but absolutely certain. Thorin felt his heart squeeze, this was precisely why he adored the hobbit so much. Even in the face of danger, Bilbo kept his head held high. Thorin considered him to be very brave- and considered himself to be incredibly lucky to have him.

“Yes, well...Even if the threat of wandering my way towards my father’s halls is slim,” Thorin said, pulling back to look Bilbo in the eyes “I would like to indulge in earthly pleasures while I still can, rather than risk it” 

And before Bilbo could fuss anymore, Thorin silenced the hobbit with a kiss. Bilbo went almost limp in the dwarf’s hands, his arms draping over Thorin’s shoulders as he deepened the kiss. Thorin groaned, he missed the feeling of the omega against him, getting lost in the sugary sweet taste of his mouth. Bilbo’s fingers tangled in his hair and Thorin smiled into their kiss, earning one from Bilbo too.

“Clothes-off” He growled, making Bilbo fluster a little but nod in agreement, quickly starting on shucking his vest. Thorin helped him lean back, peeling off his own garments as well. 

Soon there was nothing between them but the subtle slide of skin, Thorin's hands gliding over every adorable curve Bilbo had to offer. The dwarf loved how soft Bilbo was, how plush and round in his hands he felt. The hobbit’s skin felt good to grab, to squeeze, not to mention it held marks for days after they were given to him. 

“Th-Thorin~!” Bilbo mewled, his back arching off the sheets when Thorin’s teeth nipped roughly at the nape of his neck. Thorin growled, settling himself between the hobbit’s legs. He wanted to do it, Mahal knew he wanted to. His tongue slid across his canines at the thought of marking the omega, claiming him, making him his for good. But no- he promised they would wait. He would just have to find another way of getting his point across. 

As Bilbo’s head tossed about on the bed behind him, Thorin noticed how untidy his braids had become and thought it was a shame. He pulled the hobbit up and into his lap, leaning back against the pillows and groaning as their bodies slid against each other. Bilbo’s hands pressed against the dwarf’s stomach, his head falling forward a little as he looked down at Thorin in surprise. 

“You look lovely from this angle~” Thorin teased, reaching up to brush a stray hair out of Bilbo’s face “But then again, every angle suits you”

“I was about to say the same for you,” Bilbo said with a smile, his eyes trailing down the expanse of Thorin’s broad chest. The dwarf couldn't help but watch him, the way his gaze traveled over every scar as though they were points on a map. Thorin had never held any shame in his appearance, he considered himself to be pretty attractive by dwarvish standards. Bilbo though, made him feel like a work of art. As Bilbo shifted his hips, both of them moaned, Thorin now achingly hard. 

“Do you think you can...Well-” Thorin started to ask, a little breathless as Bilbo looked down at him through his beautifully full eyelashes. He cupped his hands around Bilbo’s ass and offered a little squeeze of encouragement.

“Like this?” Bilbo asked, obviously nervous “I mean… I’m always willing to try”

Thorin smiled and hissed as Bilbo sat upon his knees, reaching back behind him to take the dwarf’s length into his hand. The hobbit snickered to himself mischievously, pumping Thorin’s length a few times and watching as the dwarf’s face went slack. Now that the omega wasn't completely overtaken with heat, his clarity seemed to be making him a little brave. 

“B..Bilbo-ah~...come on now” Thorin hissed, his teeth clenching as the omega swiped his thumb over the head of his cock. Bilbo giggled and pulled his hand back, bringing his fingers to his mouth as he carefully licked over their tips. Thorin watched as a few beads of pre-cum disappeared between the hobbit’s lips and he had to bite back a growl. 

“Just a moment though,” Bilbo whispered as he slid one hand down his chest, moaning softly as his fingers dipped between his folds. Thorin’s eyes widened, Bilbo’s own fluttering closed as he worked himself open on his fingers. 

“Fraluv halag…” Thorin breathed, watching as a few strands of slick leaked down Bilbo’s thighs. The hobbit smiled and regrettably pulled his, now soaking wet, hand away. He reached back again and slid his palm across Thorin’s length making the king just about lose his cool completely. Good heavens, this hobbit was going to kill him. 

When Bilbo finally angled his hips and brought the head of Thorin’s cock to his entrance, the dwarf had to fight back the urge to slam him down against him. His descent was slow, tactical, and oh so beautifully tight. Thorin let his head fall back against the pillows as Bilbo took in every inch at once, never slowing until Thorin was completely sheathed inside of him. The king was worried for a moment, that perhaps the hobbit would hurt himself but looking up at Bilbo’s face, he was quickly proven wrong.

“Oh..Thorin~” Bilbo’s head lulled back, his mouth falling completely open in a silent moan. Bilbo whimpered, his thighs starting to shake as he adjusted, loving every single second. Thorin all about lost his mind. 

“You feel..oh, Thorin, you feel so good...” Bilbo moaned, his eyes opening and closing over and over as his spine arched beautifully. Neither of them dared to move but Thorin’s grip on the hobbit’s hips was telling enough of how much he wanted to. Bilbo was beautiful, perfect, and wonderfully warm around him.

“May I..Can I-?” Bilbo started.

“Mahal, Bilbo, please~” Thorin answered without any hesitation, Bilbo’s blush furthering just a little bit more in response. Together they set a slow but blissful pace, Bilbo’s mouth falling open with every slide up and down. Thorin gripped his hips and guided him, allowing gravity to do most of the work even as Bilbo pushed back into every thrust of Thorin’s hips.

As the hobbit bounced, Thorin’s gaze settled on his stomach. He couldn't help but wonder if there was another soul already lingering there. His mind flashed to images of what Bilbo would look like, full and round with child. The idea of getting Bilbo pregnant, succeeding his lineage, and furthering it along with his dear little burglar’s help, ignited a brilliant fire inside of him. He wanted to keep Bilbo, keep him safe, keep him well fed and happy- but just in general, keep him. He wanted to grow old with him, share his life with him, and never part from him again.  
Thorin wanted that, so incredibly much. 

Eventually, Bilbo leaned forward and desperately mouthed at Thorin’s neck and jaw, scenting him as the alpha took control and thrust up into his awaiting heat. 

“Thor..in..oh~! oh yes! Thorin I’m-” Bilbo mumbled, gasping with every sharp snap of Thorin’s hips. 

“Good omega, so good~” Thorin moaned praises into Bilbo’s ear, sucking hard into his neck “Be good for me, take it~ Be good, and give me some kits~” 

Bilbo reacted very strongly to that suggestion, arching his back into every thrust and crying out in pleasure, surely alerting the entire house of their activities. Thorin couldn't find it in himself to care. 

“Do you promise?” He asked Bilbo as the omega’s face started to contort into the telltale signs of his climax. 

“Y...Yes!” Bilbo answered breathlessly “I promise!~!!”

That was all the reassurance Thorin needed to hear. They came together, Thorin’s knot popping inside of the omega in one fail swoop. Bilbo fell forward, every inch of him shaking from the power of it all, Thorin holding and kissing him through it. The alpha continued to grind up into his omega through every wave of his release, determined to - if Bilbo wasn’t already- knock the hobbit up. Bilbo moaned and cried through it all, whispering words of thanks to Thorin’s ears. 

“Thank you~ Thorin, thank you~!” The hobbit sobbed, his hands clinging limply to Thorin’s shoulders. The dwarf moaned and grumbled in response, holding Bilbo impossibly closer and kissing his curly golden head. Thorin’s family bead had gotten jostled during their fun but had stayed securely attached nonetheless. The dwarf decided to take it as a good omen. 

He was going to keep this, this beautiful feeling of love and comfort. Tomorrow they would climb the mountain, face a dragon and reclaim the wealth of his fathers, and no matter what the outcome- Thorin swore that he would keep this in the end. Whatever the cost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdul translation-
> 
> "ongra atur"- Please no! 
> 
> "Fraluv halag..."- Dear god...


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crossing a bridge doesn't always mean you must leave something behind, the other side will always be waiting for you to return. But it does mean it's time to face something new, and it's always better to do that headfirst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is!  
> ALSO- I will be writing a sequel to this! This story is not 'over' But I figured that this will be a wonderful place to end the initial plot before I start one that's all my own!

“Bilbo that’s not fair!” Falco yelled, the songbirds fleeing from their nests at the rattling sound of the fauntling’s high pitched cry. He crossed his arms over his chest, stamping one tiny- but still rather large- foot against the grass.

“You can't do that!” He cried again, glaring at his cousin from under tightly drawn, bushy brown eyebrows “You must pick a side!” 

Bilbo only stared back at him, a tad bit annoyed now that the faunt had come out all this way just to bother him. He sighed, turning in the corner of the page he was on, before closing his book. He looked up at his cousin from his favorite seat under his oak tree and sighed, figuring there would be no easy way out of this for him. 

“It’s my liberty to do whatever I wish, I would think,” He said plainly, offering his cousin a rather unimpressed glare “Go home Falco”

Honestly, it was not his job to keep his cousins in line, no matter what his mother had tried to convince him of after their last dispute. If Falco insisted on causing trouble then Bilbo saw no reason as to why he of all hobbits should be brought into it. He was far too old for childish things like this anyway, being nearly 12 already. 

“I shan't! You must do something!” Falco’s face puffed up about ten times more, fresh tears already spilling from his eyes. 

“What would you have me do then?!” Bilbo asked with a roll of his eyes, his hands on his hips. 

“Help me find Drogo and tell him he’s wrong!” Falco insisted, managing a sentence around a mess of watery hiccups.

“And why would I help you do that?” He asked again, this time it was his turn to cross his arms. 

“Because you're supposed to be my friend!” Falco cried, to which Bilbo couldn't help but wince. It was true, despite Falco being younger and a Chubb, he and Bilbo had spent the majority of their childhoods together. But that was hardly an adequate excuse. 

“I’m Drogo’s friend too you know!” Bilbo snapped, standing up in front of the faunt who flinched back a little in surprise “Plus, him and I are more closely related” 

“But you don't like him as much as me!” Falco countered, which was a point Bilbo was willing to argue on; if it weren't for that he valued the little faunt’s opinion of him. It wasn't that Bilbo disliked Falco, it was just that he thought the faunt was too childish for his own good sometimes. Bilbo, being an only child, wasn't used to having to deal with smaller hobbits on a regular basis. His altercations with his younger cousins were the only ones he had and the little ones were always far too happy to cause him trouble. 

“Falco, enough” Bilbo said, pinching the bridge of his nose “Go home, I promise that if I see Drogo today, I’ll talk to him okay?” 

“No! Promise you’ll box his ears!” Falco insisted, stamping his feet again. 

“I will not promise anything else! Take it or leave it” Bilbo said, leaning down to glare at the fauntling who offered him a glare of equal venom. They stayed like that for a moment, before Falco- like he always did- broke first. 

“Fine!” He spat, walking away with his hands balled into little fists “But I’m telling Otho that you're a coward!” 

“Oh yes, sure!” Bilbo called after him “As if he’ll believe you anyway!”  
Falco stuck his tongue out before disappearing over the hill and Bilbo let out a breath of annoyance, messing with his suspenders as if they had gotten tangled up in the argument as well. He picked up his book and took his seat again, managing to cool off a little bit before he re-opened his page. 

“You're not going to box my ears, are you?” Drogo said as he dropped down from his hiding place up in the oak tree, his black curls falling around his face. Bilbo didn't even look up to answer him.

“I won't. But I should” Bilbo said coldly, the guilt from the conversation already catching up with him. He hated lying, no matter how good he was at it. Bilbo never wanted to be ‘good’ as lying or cheating or anything of the sort. 

“Well that's good! I was worried there that what Falco said might be true!” Drogo smiled as he took a seat next to his cousin, leaning up against Bilbo with a warm familiarity. 

“Worried what might be true?” Bilbo said, looking up from his current chapter.

“That you like him more than me” Drogo answered with a smirk. Bilbo couldn't fight back the smile that covered his lips and he rolled his eyes. 

“Keep making me lie for you and that might just become the case” He sighed, tossing his curls a little as Drogo shifted against him with a laugh. They sat like that, leaning against one another for a while in the lazy evening sun. Bilbo figured that Falco had made it home by now and that he would be hearing from aunt Chica later. Somehow here, with Drogo by his side, he didn't really care. 

“When we form a pack, he’ll want to join you know” Drogo commented, pulling at the grass hidden between his toes. 

“Oh, I’m sure he will. Are you going to let him?” Bilbo asked in return, his eyes concentrated on his book. Drogo looked at him for a while before answering. 

“Why is it my choice?” he asked. 

“Because you're the leader!” Bilbo laughed, looking up from his book again “What, would you expect me to make the decision?” 

“Well, I do value your opinion Bilbo,” Drogo said, honestly. Bilbo held his gaze but eventually looked away. 

“Not sure why. A coward’s opinion should never be taken seriously” He muttered, flipping to the next page of his book. 

“You're not a coward!” Drogo said, sitting up and facing his cousin completely. Bilbo only pffted back at him. Suddenly, the book Bilbo had been so keen on enjoying before the world had deemed it unfit- was snatched from his hands. He looked up and found Drogo staring back at him. 

“I mean it, Bilbo,” Drogo said, far too seriously for a 10-year-old “You are no coward” 

Bilbo kept his eyes glued to those of his cousin, the brilliant blue gaze seemingly entrancing him. Bilbo wanted to believe him, wanted to desperately. A wide river had grown to cut through his mind, keeping him here on his familiar side of the glen where the summer grasses always grew. On the other side, a brilliant forest of golden oaks stretched out just waiting to be explored- but Bilbo always found himself too afraid to search between their trunks. He was a coward, he knew he was and that day during his childhood, a bridge had been built, connecting the two halves of his brain and giving him a chance. The keeper of the bridge had eyes just like Drogos, beautifully blue and shining in the summer sun. But Bilbo’s ever-present doubt kept him from ever crossing to the other side.

Bilbo was much older now, he had been through many more terrifying things than just deep dark forests and wide-raging rivers. He had faced down enemies of the shadow, forces of evil scarier than anything his mind had been able to conjure as a fauntling.  
The bridge had been one he had approached and run away from many times since that day under the oak tree. Crossing it had been his first step out of his door the morning after his dwarfs had come to spirit him away. Now, Bilbo knew he was anything but a coward. He knew he was smart, resourceful, perhaps just a little fussy every now and again- and more than anything, he was capable. 

Capable of standing his ground, of holding off attack and of taking a side. 

Betrayal was a word thrown around very frequently in the hours following the dragon’s death. Bilbo had taken to lying very easily, seeing as he was so ‘good’ at it after all. Holding the arkenstone in his hands, looking at it and then out into the empty halls of Erebor, Bilbo learned to accept it. He was a good liar.  
When he had traded the stone to the elven king, he had accepted the other mantal that came with it. “Traitor” Bilbo had simply shrugged as he added it to his repertoire. He could be a traitor if that's what it had seemed to the rest of the world. He could even be a liar if it meant that in the long run, he could stand tall and know that through it all- he had not been cowardly. 

Gandalf had understood, as he always did. He had given Bilbo some kind of stability, as his world came crashing down around him. Through it, all, the name-calling and the unrelenting weight of Thorin’s eyes stricken with sickness. Bilbo had kept his head. The following battle had officially turned the rest of reality upside down. Bilbo had been stripped of everything he loved within seconds and then found himself being stolen away across the battlefield the next. Thorin, locked up in his mountain, seemed a world away. 

He was a liar and a traitor, but he was the biggest of those things to himself. Cast from the mountain by those who loved him, Bilbo had fought against every instinct not to just turn and run to them again. He had lied to himself then, telling himself that he had no other choice than to leave them now- that they did not want him. He knew that Thorin was sick, but the king’s words had cut him deep nonetheless. Fighting alongside Gandalf in Dale, the hobbit found himself at another bridge. It sat, stretching out into a dense and hazy fog, Bilbo being unable to see the other side. In the distance, he could hear the rallying cries of his company, see them running out to join the fight. Somewhere in his mind, he had locked eyes with the same brilliant blue ones that had beckoned him forward so many years ago and found that they belonged to someone new. 

It was finally true, Bilbo Baggins was not a coward. He was an omega gentle hobbit from the Shire who had left his house and homeland on a whim. He had traveled the world and had fought his way through adventure for the sake of a few misfit dwarrows. Many days he had spent on the run beside them, many nights he had spent curled up around the fire with them.  
And now, he was ready to fight and die for them.

Taking a running head start, Bilbo decided then that wherever this bridge led him, would be where he would make his final stand. His hand reached back and traced over the metal of Thorin’s bead, still nestled against his curls. Betrayal had left a bitter taste in his mouth, no matter who’s “own good’ he had committed it for. He had chosen a side, their side, and it was time now to return to it. 

“B-Bilbo!?” Fili almost yelped in surprise as the hobbit shed his ring and pressed him and his brother quickly against the wall of the barricade. Kili was equally surprised as the hobbit held them both back, his eyes scanning his surroundings wildly. It had been a hard choice, whether to go after Thorin or the princes first- but even Bilbo knew he had a softer spot in his heart for the two dwarflings.

“Shhh! There are orc’s nearby” Bilbo hissed, unsheathing his blade to reveal an ominous blue light. Fili and Kili eyed it nervously, nodding their heads in understanding. 

“You should go, we can handle this” Fili whispered, earning a very sharp glare from the hobbit. 

“Oh yes, and I suppose you already knew Azog’s pack is waiting to pick you off is that right?” Bilbo spat, causing Fili’s brows to raise a little in surprise. 

“How did you-” The elder of the two princes started to ask but was quickly silenced by one of Bilbo’s hands over his mouth. 

The sound of footsteps overhead could be heard, many of them crossing over the stone. Muffled orcs spoke back and forth amidst the gloom, their gravely voices bouncing off the walls. Bilbo had seen them approaching from the north on his run over, but the scent of the prince's distress had Once again flipped his parental switch. Finding them first had been his top priority, now that he had, he was unsure of what to do next. 

“We need to leave, now” He hissed through closed teeth, Fili and Kili nodding in return. Bilbo knew that Thorin was most likely held up in the barricade across the courtyard, why the orcs had chosen to come here instead was no doubt because they wanted them all separated. Bilbo knew that the safest place for the boys would be at Thorin’s side, but getting them back to him unnoticed would be very difficult indeed. 

Slowly, the three of them started their descent down the winding halls, being careful to check every corner before continuing forward. It was a very slow venture, Bilbo growing more and more convinced that the orcs had planned to catch the princes alone. The enemy’s activity seemed more or less preoccupied when they finally reached ground level, Bilbo being relieved when he finally caught sight of Thorin and Dwalin just a few yards off. What caught him off guard though, was what the two of them seemed to be looking at. 

“Up there!” Kili said, pointing to a ledge just a few stories up above then, the crumbling rock jutting out amidst the pillars. Standing tall against the white blanket of the snowstorm, Azog, in all his glory. He was addressing the king, pointing his crude excuse for an arm towards him and fouling the air with black speech. 

“What’s he saying?” Bilbo asked back behind him, absentmindedly corralling the princes behind him and under the stone doorway. 

“I can't hear him properly,” Fili answered, squinting as he looked up at the orc through the snow. “Something about Durin’s bloodline, I think. He’s-”

“Look out!” 

Bilbo and Fili were suddenly pushed from under the door, Kili tucking and rolling against the stone as they were all sent fumbling forward. The princes were quick to recover, tossing their hair out of their faces and standing to block the blades of their attackers. Bilbo fumbled for a second but unsheathed his blade nine the less, slicing through an orc who had managed to slip past the princes. It would seem, as though they had been caught. 

Orcs of every size came running forth from the storm, climbing up over stone and pouring into the courtyard. Fili and Kili worked in tandem to take them out, keeping their backs to each other and fighting out in a circle. Bilbo was lucky enough to keep himself out of trouble for the most part. The hobbit winced as an orc got a bit too close, his large and meaty claw reaching out to grab him. Bilbo relieved the beast of his arm before stabbing sting through his throat, nearly wretching as the creature fell to the ground in a spray of blood. 

As Bilbo pulled his blade back, he looked over to try and find Thorin through the haze, seeing that the orcs had gone down to spill into the other courtyard as well. Thorin was nowhere to be seen, but Bilbo honestly didn't get a good look before his attention was stolen by another aggressor. This orc was bigger than the last, wielding a club. The beast brought it up and above his head, Bilbo finding it remarkably easy to duck below his legs to avoid him. Before he rose completely, Bilbo slid sting through the orc’s shin and cut the tendons there, gasping in shock as the creature nearly toppled down above him in pain. 

“Bilbo!” He heard Kili cry, turning his head towards where he had last seen the princes. What he was met with, nearly stopped his heart. Fili was being held over the edge of a ledge by his hair, a particularly nasty looking orc having hold of the prince’s mane in one hand with a sword in the other. Bilbo recognized him as Arzog’s captain, Bolg. Under his boot, Kili squirmed to right himself, the monster’s weight pressing down onto his ribs.

“nagithas dwarveuk!” The orc scowled, raising Fili up a little higher as he prepared a finishing blow “Katu iuk nalkramal lat bloodline dieuk!” 

Fili fought and kicked out in desperation, his fingers clawing at the hand that had hold of his hair. His eyes blew wide with panic as a smile spread across Bolg’s lips, the creature taking far too much pleasure in watching the dwarf struggle for his life. It must have come as quite a shock then when Fili returned Bolg’s smile with one of his own.

“If you hate us, you're going to despise our aunt” 

Bolg was given only a moment to register what Fili had said before Bilbo drove his sword through his thigh and the orc let out a horrid scream. He dropped Fili, who hit the ground hard but managed to land on his side rather than his back. He winced in pain but was still alive, reassuring Bilbo from the worst. Bolg in his moment of weakness was easily thrown off by Kili who tossed him to the rocks, standing to his feet and smiling down to Bilbo in thanks. 

“I’m going to find your uncle,” Bilbo said to him, before turning on his heel to run off- but gave one more glance behind him, “Stay safe, both of you. For me?” 

“Anything for you Bilbo” Kili’s smile only widened as he nodded in agreement. Bilbo felt so much better to hear that from the prince, feeling a little bit braver than he had only moments ago. With a deep breath, he readied himself and slipped on his ring. 

Thorin, of course, had gotten himself in a whole mess of trouble. The dwarf had somehow ended up facing down the foe of his forefathers across the expanse of some bloody glacier. Sure, it sounded very dramatic and heroic when said out loud but let it be known- it most certainly wasn't any of that. What it was, was absolutely terrifying. Or at least Bilbo thought so, running down the many cobblestone stairs that stood between him and the two dueling kings. Azog apparently had deemed it suitable to bring a morning star with him, some horrible hunk of stone attached to a chain which he now swung around without a care. Bilbo could hear the ice breaking under their feet from here, honestly- idiots. 

As Bilbo clambered down another flight, he stopped to look out at them. They had seemingly reached an impasse, Azog’s star apparently stuck within the ice below Thorin’s feet as the two circled each other like wolves. The orc stared at Thorin with a hungry gaze, looking for an opening before stilling and gazing straight ahead instead. That was when the eagles came. 

The guardians of the winds themselves came thundering past and Bilbo almost tumbled back with how low they flew, their enormous wings picking up the breeze. Bilbo followed them, watched as they laid waste to the approaching orc army from the north and set their sights on Dale next. By the time Bilbo turned back to the two kings, Azog was already slipping into the icy water below. Bilbo’s heart raced, his pace quickening as he descended the stairs and approached the glacier. 

His ring still kept him hidden from sight but he was so happy, he almost called out anyway. Thorin was standing, watching the surface of the frozen water with a weary expression. He seemed so tired, so incredibly beaten that Bilbo almost found himself crying, desperately dropping to the ice and trying to pad his ways across. Thorin dropped to one knee, picking orcrist back up into his hands before something caught his eye. Bilbo saw it too, the limp and drifting body of his former foe, lingering near the surface. 

At first, Bilbo thought that it was only the passing ghost, that Azog’s corpse had somehow been lifted back to the surface of the water. But bilbo knew far better than to expect the best of things when it came to this quest. Thorin kept his eyes locked on the orc, bewitched by the face of the foe he had fought for so long and Bilbo knew then that this was where the bridge led. 

“Thorin No!” He screamed, leaping forward and knocking the dwarf off his feet, orcrist clattering to the ground beside him. No doubt Thorin must have been thoroughly confused by the sudden force pushing him aside, what with Bilbo still being concealed thanks to his ring but Bilbo wasn't in the mood for niceties. Azog came bursting forth from the ice with a roar, clearly enraged that his sneak attack had failed and looked around wildly for an explanation. Bilbo, who’s entire vision was currently blurred thanks to the ring along with his rage rolled off of Thorin and deftly kicked the king’s sword back into his hand. 

He tore off his ring then, standing to full height before the orc, sting in hand. Thorin gawked at him in shock, both from his sudden appearance and by the sheer amount of balls Bilbo apparently had grown. 

“Lat... Halflaumn” Azog spat, eyeing Bilbo up and down in surprise. Bilbo wasn't sure of what the orc had said but felt an odd sense of peace having been placed between him and Thorin once again. This was where he belonged. 

“Bilbo get back!” Thorin yelled, but too late as Azog readied his blade and came down upon the hobbit quicker than expected. Still, Bilbo was fast and spun away, slipping his ring back on and disappearing. 

“Fraukanak!!” Azog bellowed, his eyes scanning the ice in wild circles, clearly thrown off his game by his new tiny opponent. In truth, perhaps yes- this had made Bilbo quite the coward, but that he could live with because in Azog’s wild search for the hobbit, he had momentarily forgotten about the dwarf.  
Thorin wasted little time in taking the opportunity once he had seen it, thrusting forward and swiftly plummeting his blade between Azog’s ribs. Bilbo, who was invisible and standing by, flinched out of the way, catching the pure rage in Thorin’s eye as he was nearly skewered too. The pale orc let out a gurgling howl as Thorin’s blade buried itself nearly to the hit, the king’s teeth barring down in a growl for good measure. Azog tumbled to the ice again, his blood pooling out around him as Thorin brought orcrist back and scattered the excess blood across the snow. 

The king under the mountain gasped a sigh of relief, watching the light leave Azog’s eyes. Finally, they had won.  
Bilbo watched him for a moment, in the safety of his ring. Thorin stood before him, a battered and weary version of the dwarf whom he had fallen in love with- but, he was Thorin all the same. Bilbo could remember the way his eyes had looked whilst still under the sickness of dragon’s gold. These eyes, the ones that now looked around him in search of his hobbit, were not the empty eyes of a lost and broken king. 

“Bilbo…?”

No, Bilbo could see them clear as day, especially when he pulled off his ring and they fell directly upon him. These were the eyes that had encouraged him to cross the bridge. 

“Bilbo…” Thorin whispered, unsteady on his feet but even more so in his stature for he hesitated for a moment. The last time they had spoken, had ended with him casting Bilbo away. 

“Hello” The hobbit responded, his voice cracking as Thorin’s brilliant blue gaze found him “Yes...Hello” 

Thorin reached out a hand, once again trying his seemingly never-ending luck, and Bilbo took it. The distance between them closed so incredibly fast, Bilbo was unsure at first that he had not always existed here, between Thorin’s arms. He let out a shaky breath, holding tightly to the shoulders of his dwarf and finally allowed himself to cry. 

“You came for me…” Thorin whispered, relief sagging his shoulders as the eagles circled back overhead. 

“Of course...I made you a promise…” Bilbo cried, pulling back to look at Thorin in the eyes. He was more surprised than he should have been, to find the alpha crying as well. 

“Maralmizu...” Thorin whispered, pressing their foreheads together in a simple moment of bliss. Bilbo wasn’t sure, but he could take a wild guess.

“I love you too!” He cried again and pressed their lips together, wrapping his incredibly sore arms around his dwarf and feeling absolutely content. Above them, the eagles searched for survivors and Bilbo was very happy to announce that all of his company were securely amongst them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your incredible support for this story, it means very much to me that you all enjoyed, and like I said- There will be a sequel to this that I have already started work on! 
> 
> Translations- 
> 
> Black Speech-  
> “nagithas dwarveuk!” - Nasty Dwarves!
> 
> “Katu iuk nalkramal lat bloodline dieuk!” - This is where the bloodline of Durin dies!
> 
> “Lat... Halflaumn”- You...Halfling
> 
> “Fraukanak!!” - Coward!!
> 
> Kuzdul-  
> “Maralmizu...”- I love you with all my heart

**Author's Note:**

> Man, those dwarfs really know how to read a room don't they~?


End file.
